


Anko Mitarashi's Student

by AbientEcho



Category: Naruto
Genre: AR, AU, Angst and Humor, BAMF Naruko, BAMF Tenten (Naruto), Canon has been personally pummeled to death by my hands, F/M, Feels, Female Uzumaki Naruto, Fluff and Humor, Genin Era, I've been told that Naruto is OP in this story, Ibiki is a tsundere, Ino is bisexual, Maybe she is?, Multi, Naruko-centric, Naruto and Tenten are my BABIES, Naruto is bisexual, Neji is learning to Friendship, Not Beta Read, OOC, Omakes included, Platonic Relationships, Smart!Naruko, Starts Pre-chuunin Exams, T&I, T&I Specialist Naruto, Typos, big sister Anko Mitarashi, fem!naruto, slice of life until its not, smart!Naruto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 111,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27241360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbientEcho/pseuds/AbientEcho
Summary: After the fall of Root, Hiruzen Sarutobi is left with some troubles forming teams. When a certain special jounin takes it upon herself to turn the most hated genin in the village into a well-rounded apprentice, she has her work cut out for her. But will she prove capable of making the defiant, kind-hearted brat, into a kickass kunoichi?Also posted on FFdotNet!
Comments: 79
Kudos: 252





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I DO NOT own Naruto, or any of the songs used in this story.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SUMMARY: After the fall of Root, Hiruzen Sarutobi is left with some troubles forming teams. When a certain special jounin takes it upon herself to turn the most hated genin in the village into a well-rounded apprentice, she has her work cut out for her. But will she prove capable of making the defiant, kind-hearted brat, into a kickass kunoichi?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto. That being said, I do bend and add aspects, so don't come here expecting a replica of the canon story. Also, this story has crass language, typos, graphic violence, feels, so be warned. Not in this chapter specifically, but in the future. Thank you for taking an interest in AMS, I hope you enjoy!

_**Anko Mitarashi's Student** _

_**"..Well you'll know November has come,** _   
_**When it's gone away.."** _

* * *

_**Hokage's Tower, Konohagakure...** _

* * *

Sarutobi sighed behind his desk, his forefingers pinching the bridge of his nose.

The foreboding existence of that hidden branch of ANBU, Root, had finally been destroyed.

Just in time for genin team placements, no less. Hiruzen Sarutobi was grateful to be rid of the shadowy organization, despite that it meant his previous friend, Danzo, was scheduled for execution. Many of the old war-hawk's co-conspirators went within him, either to prison or by dying in the battle that took place when forces stormed the Root hideout. The entire operation was, shocking, to say the least. The shocks started from information he received from Jiraiya, which started the entire ordeal. He had been sent information that Root was not only taking up missions behind his back, but had also been in communications with Orochimaru. And that wasn't even the worst of it.

Danzo had mistreated his shinobi far beyond words, he had ordered hits on so many without clearance, he had weakened relations with other villages, and even more.. The proof Jiraiya sent forced the aging Sandaime into action, and the underground hideout of Root was overrun with loyal shinobi.

He was first surprised by the lengths that Danzo's shinobi went to prove their loyalties to him.

He felt knots form in his stomach upon remembering the talented young ninja who Danzo had destroyed emotionally. The futures they could have had if he had only taken action sooner…. The potential they had... Hell, the happiness they could've found. Instead, they were nothing more than Danzo's weapons, _or worse_ , his human shields.

Sarutobi's deep rooted disgust for the man only grew upon seeing the children that the vile war-hawk had groomed into servitude. Fortunately, many had been saved. Many became civilians after the traumatic event, and a minority decided to join the official side of ANBU.

Besides one particular boy, whom was currently far too young to be ANBU.

Now he was left with an uneven number of genin, The Would-Be-Konoha-12, was now the Konoha 13. This was due to the addition of a rather odd, young root member by the name of Sai. He was a strange one, who now wished to serve Konoha officially. Of course, the aging Hokage would not deny him that.

In a way, he felt that he owed the young boy something.

Hiruzen had pondered for days what he would do. A shuffling of the teams, which he'd decided immediately after the graduation exams, would not solve his issue.

Of course, the Ino-Shika-Cho team was set in stone, for more reasons than just tradition. He knew in his heart that the team would have no issues working together, just as seamlessly as those before them. As for the rest, he _was_ fairly confident in the teams he had chosen.

But now? He was questioning all his decisions. The boy, Sai, would fit perfectly under Kakashi. He used ninjutsu and taijutsu, both were categories Kakashi Hatake soared in.

And of course Sasuke Uchiha would also be on Team Seven, under Kakashi. It only made sense that way. With the rookie of the year on Hatake's team, it was tradition for the kunoichi of the year to be placed alongside him. So that meant Team Seven was Sakura Haruno, Sasuke, and Sai...

As for Kurenai Yuuhi, she was going to be forming the members of Team 8 into trackers. Naturally, the Inuzuka boy and the Hyuuga heir fit perfectly for that team. He couldn't deny that Shino Aburame fit right in alongside them, given the unique abilities of his kikaichu bugs.

A series of knocks at the large oak door of his office finally pulled from his thoughts. He grumbled for a moment, before signaling the chuunin guarding the door to open it. There stood Special Jounin Anko Mitarashi, handing in her mission report.

' _Anko is an intelligent woman, perhaps I could ask her input.'_ After all, it really couldn't hurt. He had one genin left to sort, whether it be sending the girl to Genin Corps, or possibly finding someone to apprentice her.. He could also send Naruto Uzumaki or another genin-hopeful back to the academy, but that was a possibility he didn't want to entertain… Hopefully, Anko would provide him some extra insight.

"Hokage-sama, here's the report from the capture and interrogation mission you sent me on." She said, giving a respectful bow before placing the thin packet on his desk. The sturdy wooden desk was already littered with paperwork, ink, and assorted clutter.

"Ah, Anko. Your timing couldn't have been better."

The pony-tailed special jounin quirked an eyebrow at his statement. She tucked her hands into the pockets of the beige trench-coat she wore everyday.

The high collar of which hid the curse mark on her neck.

Anko tried to hide the traces of her previous involvement with Orochimaru, but they followed her like a storm cloud overhead. She was playful, intelligent, and vicious, but her heart carried a heavy burden. One which stemmed from that odd marking between her neck and shoulder.

"Well, what is it?" She asked her foot tapping against the ground once.

Sarutobi sighed, sliding forward a paper with the names of every new genin. Mitarashi's eyes passed over the page speculatively, a sly grin on her face.

"Hokage-sama, are you asking for _my_ help with placements?" He saw an entertained glint in her eyes, hints of surprise laced within her expression. She was surprisingly easy to read when she let down her guard, he noticed. One of her hands now rested upon her hip, the other held the paper.

He hesitated for a moment, before speaking the honest truth. "Yes. I've only managed to think of one team, who will be placed under my grandson."

"I'm guessing that new kid threw off your plans, eh?" The snake mistress said jestingly, smirk still on her face. Her eyes steeled for a moment as they passed over the genin list again. "You'll have to break your usual traditions for team matching." She added, a bit more contemplatively.

"I'm well aware. Unfortunately, I think I've worked out how some of these teams should be formed. Based on the traits of these students, I can match nearly all of them with jounin-sensei who would help them grow."

"So, what's the problem? Do you just want my, oh so valuable, second opinion?" Anko said, her playful demeanor reentering the conversation. She nearly shuddered when she looked back at the exhausted hokage in front of her.

It genuinely looked as if the man had wilted, like a flower kept from sunlight far too long. He'd aged a damn decade in a matter of seconds.

"I.. Cannot find a team to place Naruto Uzumaki on," He paused, taking a puff from his pipe. He blew the wisps of smoke from his lips before continuing.

"I know the determined little girl could make it work on any of these teams, but.. I am not confident enough to place one of these jounin with a fourth student, who also happens to be the village pariah." The aged man in front of Anko seemed to have a weight lifted after voicing his concerns. He was certainly in need of someone to listen to his frustrations, it was quite obvious.

And this was a man paraded for his genius, nicknamed, 'The Professor.'

"Not only would her team fail to understand her, but.. Being on a team with a hated jinchuuriki is a burden all its own." He let his pipe sit against his desk, the embers within it seeming to die out as he paused.

Anko swallowed. She'd never had much of an inclination towards children. But here was the Sandaime, voicing his concerns to _her_ of all people. She, in a way, was a village pariah in her own right. People were always wary of the snake mistress, believing her to be evil or a spy for Orochimaru. She had felt suspicious, hateful glares. She had made friends regardless, but _damn_ , it had been hard.

She couldn't deny that she felt a newfound kinship with the girl, despite never even having met her.

The special jounin felt the eyes of Sarutobi land on her, expectantly.

"Tell me about the little brat." She said, her voice as solid as steel beams. Hiruzen gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk, and she hesitantly took a seat.

* * *

And so, Hiruzen Sarutobi began.

He told Anko of the blonde's devious pranks, getting snorts and smiles in response. From painting the hokage monument, to leading ANBU on chases regularly, and so much more. He told of her character, determined, brash, and audacious. He told of her hardships, being bullied and an orphan. Of her mistreatment by every civilian in the village. Of being stunted in the academy, and refused service. How she'd failed the academy twice now, placing her two years older than some of the others in her graduating class.

By then, the allegedly cruel snake mistress had clenched, trembling fists balled at her sides.

Anko Mitarashi was no stranger to using an outward appearance to hide your suffering, hell, she did it herself. Her devious persona had been played up a bit in response to the preconceptions of others.

And deep down, she wondered if the girl had developed her own persona to shield herself from others?

A loud, happy-go-lucky prankster persona would serve that purpose very, very well.

"I'm aware of how my shortcomings have hurt the child, and I regret my lack of action in the past and present everyday. I wish.. I could do more." The tan, wrinkled man in front of her said. He recalled that the only real bonds the girl had were him and a chuunin named Iruka Umino. Anko was familiar with the man, recalling how red the teacher got when she teased him in the workplace. He, like many others, wasn't very fond of her sexual-sadist sense of humor...

She ran one of her hands over her bangs, pushing them back for a second as she listened to the hokage's words.

"Irregardless, I fail to see how this solves the issue at hand.." the man muttered, looking at Mitarashi. There was a silence, but Anko's eyes met Hiruzen's.

A flabbergasted sense of realization dawned on the elderly man's face. "Unless, you intend to..?" His voice trailed off, unsure if he was being too hopeful.

_"I'd like to take the little Blondie on as my student."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just edited this chapter again, as of 12/10/2020. Nothing too significant, but age change for Naruto, and formatting changes. Oh, and how there will be song lyrics at the top of every chapter. This is because music really inspires me to write this story, so it fits I think. These lyrics are chosen based on what I feel Naruto would listen to during this chapter. I think this Naruto would be a big fan of pop/punk and pop punk. THIS IS NOT A SONGFIC! Just a fic with songs. I might do this with other stories, too. If so, the music will probably vary quite greatly.
> 
> Song this chapter: 'November Has Come,' by Gorillaz.
> 
> Thank you for reading, much love~


	2. Chapter Two

**"..You only hold me up like this**

**'Cause you don't know who I really am**

**Sometimes I just want to know what it's like to be you…."**

* * *

**_Konoha's Shinobi Academy..._ **

* * *

Students were quickly filling into their, soon to be former, academy classroom. Amongst the chattering students, sat Naruto Uzumaki near the back. She'd decided to show up early, and was watching Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka argue by the doors. The whiskered girl couldn't overhear much, despite how loud they were. They threw around words like, love, rivalry, and "Sasuke-kun." And of course, they tossed around insults as well. They were good at that, Naruto knew firsthand.

She scowled to herself. That damn Uchiha has every civilian and kunoichi head over heels for him. And for what? She could be moody and quiet too, if she wanted.

"Hey! Naruto-chan, why the long face?" Said the familiar voice of Chouji Akimichi. She turned her head to the side, seeing Shikamaru Nara and Kiba Inuzuka standing behind him. She even spotted Akamaru atop Kiba's head, unsurprisingly. The Inuzuka always had his dog. Always.. The blonde rubbed the back of her neck, giving a slightly sheepish grin.

"Oh er, just thinking 'bout stuff." Naruto replied, getting a snicker from the overly-confident Inuzuka boy. "I didn't know you could think, Naruto."

She growled and shot him a glare.

"Shut it, dog-breath!" She retorted, her blonde eyebrows furrowed in agitation. At that moment, she really wanted to go on a tirade about how she wasn't a complete idiot. Given her botched test scores, they probably wouldn't believe her anyway. Sure, she wasn't a genius like Shikamaru, but she was at least a hair's-width above average.

And damn it, she had worked hard to get any 'book-smarts' at all. Naruto knew she was goofy, stubborn, and clumsy. She might even admit to being a more of a, "act now, think later," type.

But just below the surface, she was a cunning girl as well. Naruto Uzumaki had retained that trait after her years spent as an orphan. And, she supposed, it would only fit for her to be as Machiavellian as the fox demon sealed within her. The whiskered blonde wanted to chuckle at the thought of the Kyuubi, whom Mizuki had used as an insult during his little.. Breakdown, after she passed her exams.

To think, that bastard had fudged up her scores, tried to get her to commit a treasonous crime, then berated her for not doing so!

She was just grateful Iruka-sensei had overheard the man's rant, otherwise he might not have ended up in prison. Arrested for violating the law in place to keep people from learning of the demon within her.. Oh and conspiracy to commit treason, or something.. Amongst several other minor charges, as well..

Her brain thought back to the event, images flashing in her mind as she remembered every detail.. Man, the horrified look on Iruka's face when that prick spilled all those secrets..

Her blue eyes glanced to her side, at her friendlier classmates. Shikamaru took a seat to her right, Kiba and Choji taking the other two remaining seats. Of course, this didn't bother Naruto at all. Those guys were the closest thing to friends she'd ever had. Possibly because Shikamaru and Choji were closer to her age, 14 and 13 respectively. Others in their class were still 12.

Though, they were by no means close, they didn't visit her outside of school, or tell each other secrets, or even talk regularly.

But they weren't cruel, and for that, Naruto was grateful. They didn't hate her like kids from civilian family's kids did, they didn't strongly dislike her like Uchiha and Ino, and they didn't constantly belittle her like nearly everyone else.

"Alright everyone, quiet down and take your seats!" Iruka-sensei shouted, straightening a few papers as he stepped into the center of the room.

Students quickly clambered to their seats, eager to hear of their new teams. Naruto knew the civilian teams would likely be announced first, and let her eyes linger around the classroom.  
She looked to Iruka for a minute, but her eyes quickly scanned elsewhere. Behind him was the smudgey, blank chalkboard, and a wooden podium directly in front of him. The wood was the same as nearly every other thing in the classroom, from the trim of the walls, to the floors, the desks, and even the chairs. She wanted to groan, the familiarity of it all was a bit overbearing. Sure, she might miss it some day, but she couldn't care for the mundane place now.

The blonde twirled her hair around her finger, unable to focus on the lecture Iruka-sensei was giving. It seemed her.. Semi-Friends were having the same problem, as Nara was napping...? Or pretending to be asleep?

Naruto couldn't discern which one. Chouji was munching on barbecue flavored chips, and Kiba looked ready to die of boredom just like herself.

Iruka groaned, spotting the inattentive students in the back, left row. He straightened his posture and spoke a little louder. "As for Team Seven, we have Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha-" He paused for a minute, after hearing the pinkette taunt the blonde Yamanaka girl. His brown eyes shot the girl a pointed look, and she quickly went silent.

"And Sai, under Jounin Kakashi Hatake." The three fresh genin grouped together, taking seats in the now-empty front row. As expected, the civilian genin teams left as soon as their jounin arrived, leaving lots of empty seats.

"Team 8, under Jounin Kurenai Yuuhi, is comprised of Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuuga, and Shino Aburame." Kiba grinned, and gave them a wave goodbye as he walked off to the front to be with his team. She watched the tan-skinned instructor pale a bit, presumably after reading the last team formation.

Naruto sighed, it was as she expected.. She was, as usual, the odd one out. There was no way they'd make the exception of a 3 genin team just for her, especially not when it came to the Ino-Shika-Cho combination. The blonde held her head down as she stood up, making her way out the door as silently as possible. The quiet click of the door closing gave her a small fraction of relief.

At least she didn't have to plaster a smile on her face when she was alone.

Her blue eyes were darker than ever, full of unbridled emotion...

It felt like a tornado brewed within her, yes, a tornado.

Her mind flashed back to that training Ebisu had been forced to give her not so long ago. The dark-haired man had said a lot of things about her, mostly negative, but she'd retained one fact very well. She had a wind affinity, so it fit perfectly that she felt a tornado spinning within the depths of her very soul.

'It's not fair!' She thought, wanting to scream, cry, and punch something all at once. Nothing could ever just be fair for her! The past few weeks have been unending bullshit, and it's just growing even worse.

She stormed down the hall, headed towards a bathroom to calm down in. First things first, she hasn't gotten to prank anyone or have lunch with Iruka or the Old Man hokage all month! Those two things were essentially her only solaces, as ridiculous as it may have sounded to others.

But Then, the Old Man asks Ebisu to train her to keep her from failing the exams! Sure, she needed it, but that closet-pervert was just a slave driver! He'd made her learn all sorts of chakra control exercises, taijutsu forms, and both the basic and solid shadow clones! IN TWO WEEKS!

Naruto wasn't ungrateful for his help, she wouldn't have even passed otherwise, but she wished luck could've just smiled at her for once. That her hard work would've paid off, and she could be placed under some kick-ass sensei!  
But now it seemed like those hours being worked into the ground and berated had all been for nothing.

In a show of pure fury, she threw open the bathroom door, her mind still raking over the details of stressful month. After twisting the lock, she kicked it behind her, the hinges squeaking in protest as the door slammed shut as she walked away.

Her tan-skinned hands gripped the ceramic sink, angrily marinating in her thoughts. ' _Of course, immediately following Ebisu's exhausting training, I had to deal with Mizuki. And now, I have to deal with being a lone genin. Am I even going to get a jounin-sensei?!_ ' She questioned inwardly, knuckles turning white from tension. This damned sink was lucky she wasn't using chakra right now, or she'd shatter it to pieces.

And of course, all those aforementioned struggles were just the bow wrapped around her usual struggles. Just a little add on to the everyday bullying, glaring eyes, harassment, and loneliness.

She looked at her appearance in the mirror, feeling absolutely nothing at all. All she felt, was a deep desire to change. She was a genin now, even without a sensei or a team! She was a shinobi, but she sure as hell didn't feel like one! And in all honesty, she didn't look the part either.

Her long golden pigtails and 'kill-me orange jumpsuit' (as Iruka had so-kindly dubbed it) would be nothing but a hindrance in a mission, that she knew. Of course, she could always tie her hair into a bun, but as much as she loved that shade of fluorescent, neon-orange..

There was no way the blonde could just strip down during a mission, even if it was to be stealthy. She had a devious grin on her face as she pulled a freshly sharpened kunai from her weapons pouch.

After all, the best way to relieve frustration is destruction!

* * *

Shikamaru Nara would've been lying if he said he hadn't noticed the changes in Naruto Uzumaki's behavior.

For his usually absent-minded friend to seem.. Lost in thought, was a bit of a surprise. Her body language practically spelled out the word stress, which was saying something, considering how bright and bubbly the blonde usually was. Shortly after her departure from the classroom, his team was announced.

He sighed, the lazy genius knew he had to see what was up. When a Nara was curious about something, they had to satiate their curiosity, by any means. It was, in his opinion, a curse of sorts.. He rose from his seat, raising his hand before speaking. "Oi, sensei. I'm gonna go check on Naruto-chan, I think she's sick or something."

Iruka sighed in response, nodding his head approvingly. He looked worried for his usually cheerful student, the Nara boy noticed.

Shikamaru stepped out of the class, slightly slouched with his hands tucked in his pockets. He enjoyed the silence of the halls as his sandals clacked against the wooden floors, nearly rhythmic.

Clack, _clack, clack.._

He wandered absentmindedly, letting his feet carry him through the halls before coming to an abrupt stop in front of the girl's bathroom.

The sounds of fabric tearing, and triumphant cursing would be hard to ignore. Especially when he had wanted to discover why the girl seemed so.. Off, today. He pulled his right hand from his pocket, knocking lightly against the thick door.

Silence.

Then fumbling, and a near silent curse.

"Just a sec!" Said her familiar, mellifluous voice. He exhaled softly, turning to lean against the wall right before the door, not-so-patiently waiting for the pig-tail wearing girl. His eyelids closed lazily, one arm behind his head and another tucked into his pocket.

The sound of sandals against the wooden floors prompted him to reopen his eyes. Shikamaru glanced down the hall upon seeing a purple haired woman in his peripherals. Upon walking closer, he could she was wearing a knee-length beige trenchcoat, and a burnt-orange mini skirt. Her fishnet patterned mesh armor was much like his own, though, he wore a shirt over his...

He turned his attention away from the slowly approaching woman upon hearing the lock on the door click, it swinging open not long after. Out stepped his friend who was...

"The hell?!" He questioned, spotting the remains of her orange tracksuit cradled in her arms.

She was wearing a tight black romper, which had been concealed by her baggy clothes. He was surprised, Naruto actually looked like a fairly normal girl for once! But why?

"I needed a change!" The blonde said, sticking her nose up at his perceived rudeness. "B-but, your clothes!" The brunet boy stammered out, aghast at her behavior. Now he was really certain, this girl was a curious case. Absolutely weird, and entirely unpredictable. She made a noise akin to what a pouting child would, not having a retort to fire at him. He fought off a scowl, remembering how loudmouthed she could be. _'At least she spared me from a bothersome rant..'_ Interjected one of his thoughts.

Hell, she was nearly always loudmouthed..! Much like his new teammate, Ino..

"Are all blondes this troublesome?" He asked rhetorically, looking up at the ceiling. Before the girl had a chance to make a taunt or retort, the lady from earlier butted in.

"Hey there, Gaki." Said the amused looking woman, tousling Naruto's already unruly hair. Despite that her bangs and twin-tails were relatively smooth, the locks atop her head stuck up and out in blonde spikes.

"Hey!" The whiskered girl replied irritably, leaning away from the woman's hand. Naruto took a moment to look her over, seeming wary. "Oi, is that your boyfriend?" asked the purplette, sticking her thumb in Shikamaru's direction. The dark-haired boy sputtered and stammered, his face quickly turning a deep shade of crimson as he quickly denied that heinous, most embarrassing accusation.

He waved his hands dismissively, an over-exaggerated show of disapproval.

The Uzumaki, however, was completely unbothered. It was like she hadn't even heard what the purplette had said!

"No. Who're you?" She asked, tossing the remains of her once favorite outfit in a garbage can. The woman watched her toss the outfit, smirking with a strange glint in her light brown eyes. Naruto crossed her arms, accusing eyes landing on the taller woman in front of her.

The woman seemed amused, one hand on her hip. Her free hand laid lax at her side, she was practically exuding confidence.

"Your newly assigned jounin captain, but its Anko-sensei to you. Now, you can tell me all about yourself while we go get you some new clothes." She said, taking Naruto's hand and dragging her away. The girl's blue eyes lit up like sapphires caught in the sunlight, and her entire face seemed to brighten.

"Wait, really?" She asked, stumbling a few steps as she was led down the hall by the much taller woman. "Yup!" Replied the older woman, both of which were ignorant of the scowling boy behind them.

"Awesome! Bye, Shikamaru-san!" Naruto said, giving him one last glance and a radiant smile before turning to go down the stairs. He sighed, turning on his heel. He just hoped he wasn't late to meet his own damn jounin.

* * *

Anko looked at her new student and sighed, she couldn't help but feel an attachment to the girl already. She knew that the gaki had felt that same isolation that she did, and she wasn't going to let the poor kid stay that lonely. The pair walked into town, she could feel the kid's bright blue colored eyes burning into her back.

"What?" She finally snapped, glancing down. The kids face was so round and cherubic.. Anko was tempted just to squish her cheeks! She had never had a weakness for cute things, but this damn brat was an exception!

"It's just.. I never thought my sensei would take me shopping." The young girl's voice was traced with wonder and loneliness, hints of uneasiness making its way into the mix. The older woman could pick up on emotions rather easily, but this kid wasn't even trying to hide the emotion that leaked into her voice.  
Wearing your emotions on your sleeves as a shinobi is dangerous, every shinobi knew that.

The kid trusted her already, and she wouldn't do anything to betray that.. Unlike her own sensei had..  
Anko chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. Hopefully, this newfound kinship would benefit both of them.

"Ah, its uh, a bonding exercise!" Anko said, twirling a senbon in her fingers absentmindedly. The two shared eye contact for a minute, before breaking into equally vulpine smiles. Naruto's eyes drifted around the area, it was a sector of the village she didn't visit often. She never had much spare money to go shopping, and she was always afraid the shopkeepers farther from home would treat her even worse. After all, they weren't used to her presence. She knew this was where most of the shinobi-oriented shops were, at least

"Er, Anko-sensei.. Do you think I should use a transformation jutsu before we go shopping? I do-" Before she could even finish her sentence, her sensei interrupted.

"Nonsense, kid." Anko said, waving her hand dismissively. "They won't dare pull any tricks with me around."

Naruto didn't dare argue, not with that stern tone the jounin spoke in. She didn't know how long she could hold a henge, or transformation jutsu anyway..

Her sensei stopped abruptly in front of a very large shop, which, from the looks of it, carried everything a stylish kunoichi would need. She saw scrolls specifically for clothing in the front, long-lasting cosmetics near the back, assorted colorful gear and bandages, and practical clothes.

Anko stepped in first, and the clerk eyed them for a moment before turning back to her magazine. Naruto quickly found herself completely stumped. She had never, ever, been in a store like this before.

"Go ahead kid, find something practical that suits you." She said, getting a magazine from a stack and flipping through it.

"Anko-sensei... I don't know where to start.." Naruto resigned, hanging her head in shame.  
Anko's eyes widened, face-palming shortly after. "Shit, I forgot. You've probably never even shopped like this before."

"Nah, never.." Naruto said, her eyes scanning the array of products offered. She looked over at the older jounin, and saw a spark in her eyes.

"On second thought, this will be fun! Take this as a crash course on all things beauty, kid!" Anko said, straightening with new-found vigor. "Let's start with clothes and build off that. What's your favorite color?" She planned to first find the girl an everyday ninja outfit, then she could get the girl some accessories to match, then maybe convince the girl to wear a little make-up just for fun..

It's not like you can fault her! A kunoichi's looks can be a great asset.

"Orange!" The purple haired woman face-palmed yet again.

"Kid, I said practical earlier. You can't just wear all orange and expect not to get murdered."

The blonde groaned, head hanging once more.

"What would look good?" The young tomboy asked, sounding defeated. She'd never cared much for her looks, but she might as well find something she can feel confident in.

"Hey, I never said you had to get rid of the orange completely! It suits ya! But you gotta tone it down.. Maybe, you should try black. That romper looks good, and! And! Black matches everything, including the orange you love so much." Her sensei explained, sorting through clothes for her.

* * *

The two tried many outfits over the hour they spent searching through clothes. About halfway through, the cold gaze of the clerk turned to amusement. She actually started helping the pair find Naruto a new outfit. The shopkeeper and Anko stood expectantly outside the dressing rooms, waiting for the blonde.

The door handle jangled for a moment, before swinging wide open. There Naruto stood, in a black kimono-sleeved top.

Around the waist of the top, a thick orange piece of cloth called a koshihimo, tied into a big bow in the back. The sleeves stopped a few inches short of her wrists, just past her elbow. She had elbow length, finger-less, mesh armor gloves on beneath her sleeves. The knuckles of the gloves were reinforced to prevent any scraping or scratching at all. Under her koshihimo, lied a utility belt of sorts, which extended down into leg garters. The garters held a pouch to each leg, one just above her knees. On that side, there were also two empty slots for easy access to scrolls. But on her right side, there was a pouch hidden by her top, on her hip. It was nearly impossible to notice.

Of course, she also had on a pair of bright orange pair of mid-thigh length shorts on, which matched her koshihimo and thigh-high socks. On her feet, were a typical pair of black ninja sandals, with extra reinforcement around the ankles.

Naruto's face broke into a radiant smile, her hands positioned on her hips.

The shopkeeper clapped her hands excitedly, showing a kindness Naruto had never expected from a stranger. "That's it, it's perfect!" Squealed the teenage clerk. "I agree!" Said Anko, a triumphant grin on her face. And judging by the confidence radiating from her student, she loved it too.

In the end, Anko couldn't convince her student to wear makeup or anything girly. But, she did manage to get her wearing sandals with heels! It's the little things, after all. The pair approached the cash register, the young clerk quickly generating her total.

Naruto pulled her wallet out, attempting to pay for the new outfit and it's identical counterparts. But, once again, Anko waved her off. "Forget it, kid! I dragged you out here, I'll buy the clothes." She said, pulling out the necessary bills. Hesitantly, Naruto tucked her little froggy wallet back into her hip pouch.

The purple-haired jounin passed the clerk her Ryo, receiving her change a moment later.

Naruto kept silent as they walked out of the shop down the dirt paths, fists clenching her bags tightly.

"Anko-sensei, why did you do that for me..?" She asked, her voice edging on bitter confusion. Anko turned her head, looking down at the short blonde girl.

Naruto was used to Iruka trying to buy her ramen, though she'd begun paying her own tab long ago.. She'd never quite understood why he, unlike so many others, was kind to her. After the ordeal with Mizuki, and learning he'd despised her at some point for having the Kyuubi in her... She realized he possibly felt guilt for hating her previously, which was why he'd bought her things. A repentance to ease his own guilt.

And that was something Naruto did not want. That just felt wrong, to have people buying her things out of their own guilt..

"It just felt right.. Woah, kid, are you crying?" The purplette woman halted in place, her honey-brown eyes widened. Anko knew she was borderline incapable of comforting people. Especially children! Her job was to manipulate emotions, but not in a good way. She tortured and interrogated for a living, this was the exact opposite of what she was used to!

The genin's fists trembled, and Anko was trying to think fast.

"Oh my Kami, you are crying." She muttered, prompting the blonde to respond. "S-shut up!" The girl retorted, glaring for a short second. _'Damn it, think Anko!'_

..Unbeknownst to Anko, Naruto was crying because she really, truly could not wrap her head around her sensei's kindness. That, and a hundred other conflicting emotions overwhelmed her rather quickly...

The Hokage had told her the kid loved challenges.. Anko sighed in relief, she knew exactly what she could say. Her posture straightened and she turned her head forward again.. "Well, if it's such a big deal, there's something you can do for me." Naruto turned her head quickly, peering up at Anko.

"In about five months, the chuunin exams will be held in Konoha. I want you to kick ass."

Naruto's eyes remained glazed over as she stared up at her sensei, confusion swirling in those brilliant sapphire irises.

"Of course, Anko-sensei! But what does that have to do with you?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Well, my.. Co-workers, the other jounin, have expressed their.. Skepticism about my teaching abilities. If you go in and beat their students like a drum, I can gloat about how my adorable little student destroyed their snot-nosed brats." Anko had pulled that idea out of her ass, but it was true. She would love to rub that in their faces. Ha! She could show all of them up, even Ibiki!

"I'll explain it all to you in here.." Anko said, pointing her thumb at the door in front of a dango shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE:
> 
> Nothing to say, except that I just finished revising and I hope this chapter was enjoyable.
> 
> Song this chapter is 'Of All the Gin Joints in the World,' by Fall Out Boy. Although I'm not a fan of their music so much anymore, I think some of their songs will suit this story well.
> 
> Edited on 12/10/2020.
> 
> Naruto is fourteen now, making her the same age as Team 9 in this story. I did this, because it occurred to me that canon!Naruto had failed the academy twice? thrice? Before he graduated, but was the same age as everyone else. This would imply he was entered in a lot younger.. And in this story, Naruto is entered in later, and doesn't fail. Hence, she is older. It's also because I don't like the idea of writing a twelve year old doing Torture and Interrogation in the future. (That might seem like a spoiler, but it's really not.


	3. Get Ready, Naruto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto is given her training schedule for the next few months, gets a weapon, unlocks something cool..And makes a friend!

_**Get Ready, Naruto!** _

**_"..That girl thinks she's the queen of the neighborhood_ **

**_I got news for you, she is!"_ **

* * *

**_KONOHA DANGO SHOP:_ **

* * *

The odd pair were quickly seated in a cozy booth in the back, and Anko made her order for a heaping batch of dango. Each of their mouth's were practically watering with the delicious scents flooding their noses. The aromas of tea, dango, coffee, and the like wafted through the air of the shop, making Naruto and Anko grab ravenously at their piping hot dango the moment it arrived.  
"Okay kid, as I was saying, chuunin exams." The woman continued, as if she hadn't just ordered _fifty sticks of dango for two people. (Not like the blonde cared, anyway. She could eat her weight in ramen.)_

Naruto nodded furiously, prepared to soak up whatever her new sensei had to say.

"So, obviously, in your current condition, you don't stand a chance." The woman said, chewing on her delicious dango. Anko internally winced when her eyes flickered up to see Naruto's crestfallen expression. This girl was already clinging onto every word she said... ' _I've got a lot to teach this kid…"_ The dango fanatic thought to herself..

"But! There is hope for you yet, squirt! You just need to pick up some of my awesome-ness." She waved her hands in an attempt to placate the young girl, who seemed to flip through emotions like a teenage girl through a magazine.  
Now, she looked eager and ready to listen.

"So, the first order of business.. Is to set up a training regiment.." The jounin continued, reaching into her satchel to fish out a piece of paper and a pen. She always kept a small notepad with her, usually for doodling or to remember things. It definitely came in handy right about now, otherwise she'd have to write this entire regiment on a napkin…

In all honesty, Anko was flying by the seat of her pants here. ' _But, it's not like the kid knows that!'_

She quickly began working through her schedule, finding spaces for Naruto's training in her fairly lax schedule. Her pencil made light scribbling noises as Naruto waited patiently, and silently, in anticipation. Silence was supposed to be rarity around the blonde, but Anko assumed the girl was simply eager and willing to learn.

"Okay, listen up!" The honey-eyed woman demanded, stuffing another stick of dango into her mouth.

"I'm all ears!" The girl said, clenching her fists. Her blonde eyebrows furrowed adorably in an attempt to appear, determined? Or tough? Anko wasn't sure which, but it was certainly amusing.

"So, I worked out this lovely little schedule for us to work on. You will follow this to the letter for the next few months, unless I say otherwise." The woman said, sliding the paper over to her.

Two blue eyes flickered down at the paper, reading the messy handwriting with ease.

* * *

" _Naru's Training Schedule:_

_Monday: D-Rank with Anko-sensei at noon, (at the hokage's tower) then supervised physical conditioning until 2 PM. Continue alone until 5 PM._

_Tuesday: REPEAT MONDAY, but end taijutsu training at 2 PM and practice weapons accuracy until 5 PM._

_Wednesday: D-Rank again at noon, but afterwards spend time practicing whatever you like._

_Thursday: Three, if possible, D-Ranks to start the day. Then, elemental jutsu training! Woo!_

_Friday: No D-Rank, come to T &I Office with Anko-sensei at 2 PM._

_FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ARE FREE UNLESS THE AWESOME, ALL-KNOWING ANKO-SENSEI SAYS OTHERWISE!"_

* * *

And at the bottom, there were two poorly drawn chibi's of Anko and Naruto.

Naruto fought the urge to cackle at the drawings, instead opting to take another bite of the warm dango in her hand.

Despite her mouth being full, Naruto spoke anyway. "So, why only ninjutsu training once a week? And why so many missions? And what am I supposed to do at the T&I office-"

The equally full-mouthed Anko, replied anyway. "All in due time, brat! I'll explain all that when we get there, mmmkay?" The purple haired woman finished her stick, placing it on the plate and exhaling softly.

Anko didn't mention it, but she was truly surprised that the girl didn't seem bothered by the rather extensive training regiment. She would've expected complaints about overworking or something else equally annoying, as most kids her age would've reacted.

Hell, the Hokage even made it sound like the girl was some sort of defiant little chaos god, but she seemed nothing of the sort. At least thus far..

"Since today is monday, and we don't have time to start your physical conditioning, let's just talk. First, I need to know that you're ready to be a ninja." Anko pointed her dango stick at the girl accusingly, and she finally drew out that defiant side that the Sandaime mentioned.

"Of course I'm ready! I worked my a- I mean uh- behind, off for this!" The girl retorted indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Anko waved over a waitress, and the woman poured them some tea.

"Kid, what do you think a shinobi, or a kunoichi, even is? Why do you want to be one?"

"Shinobi and kunoichi are protectors! They protect and serve the village they live in, no matter what." The girl said.

"You're right about that much. But do you know what that entails? You have to fight, kill, lie, and cheat for your village. According to the Shinobi Code, you're supposed to put the village before everything, before your life, the lives of your friends, even." Anko said, completely serious.

That last bit turned Naruto's intestines into a slight state of disarray, tying her stomach in knots.. Of course she'd known that, even if she played a dunderhead at school, she at least knew the basics of the Shinobi Code. She still didn't like the idea of sacrificing a friend for the village, but she knew that pragmatically it made sense…

"Though, there's exceptions to every rule, we don't need to get into that though.." Anko muttered softly, as a mere afterthought.

"But that's not my point. You never answered my second question." Anko knew she was barraging the poor kid with questions, but they needed to be asked, and Anko hated having to be serious like this.

"Why do you want to be a kunoichi?" Anko asked, looking at the blonde sitting across from her. Days ago, Anko had speculated the girl wore a mask, much like she herself did.

And after asking that question, Anko Mitarashi felt like she proved that. Because in no time at all, the girl switched tunes. Her optimistic, idiotic persona Anko had been told of, was really just that. A persona.

The girl's cherubic face adopted a genuinely thunderous expression, one she'd never pictured a kid could make.

"Anko-sensei, I trust you a lot, because, apparently… You're like me. So I'll tell you the truth." The girl said flatly, storms brewing in vibrant blue eyes.

The jounin didn't say a word, and instead opted to listen.

"Everyone thinks I'm some idiot who's oblivious to the world. The kids my age think I'm weak, that I'm stupid. The civilians hate me, _because of what is in me._ And for some reason, they all think that I don't know. It's not that I don't know, I'm well aware, I've just stopped _caring._ I have my own goals, and that's to one day be the best damn Hokage this village has ever seen. I don't care that everyone thinks I'm dumb, hopeless, or even a demon. I don't care that they hate me. This village is precious to me, and even if it sucks sometimes, I'm not going to run away from it. This is my home, the place my parents died defending, and so much more. One day, I'll prove them all wrong, and I'll change this village to be even better than before." The girl stopped her emotionally charged rant suddenly, taking in a deep breath, and clenching her fists.

Those turbulent blue eyes flickered away, staring down at peach-colored tabletop. Another loud inhale, followed by a softer exhale. Anko just sat there, entirely stunned and impressed. She expected some short, idiotic retort. True to her words, Naruto had been truthful, trusting her new sensei with more than Anko would've expected.

Anko began to smile, a genuine, joyous smile. They really are alike, and Anko could say that, clear as day.

"And they don't have to like me. But when all is said and done, I'll go down in history, and people will finally see that they were _wrong_ about me." Naruto said, looking up at her teacher once again. Her expression was calm now, her whole body was, like a weight had been lifted. Her muscles lost their rigidity, she dropped the stern posture.

And on her face, the girl wore a triumphant, soft smile.

"Damn right they will!" Mitarashi agreed, breaking into a toothy smile. "You know kid, if that's how you feel, you should show it. I know all about that persona you wear around like a mask. And I understand it, because in a way," She paused, taking a deep breath.

"I do it too. But I'm still honest with myself and those around me, and you should be too. Because by wearing that mask, you're just wasting effort. You don't care? Then show 'em that." Anko said, trying to explain it as succinctly as possible. She knew that it sounded like she was rambling, but when Naruto smiled even brighter, she knew that the girl understood.

"You know what? I will, 'ttbayo!" The blonde, pigtail wearing girl declared, before finishing off her cup of tea. Anko just chuckled at her, happy to see the girl improving already. Naruto trusted her with the entirety of her ambitions, with her thoughts, with her emotions, and Anko knew then that she would never regret taking Naruto as a student.

It was written in stone now, Anko and Naruto, future baddest bitches in all of Konoha!  
She liked the way that sounded, even if Naruto had a long way to go.  
Hell, she did too.

Maybe she should try and achieve something, too.. It might be nice to go up in rank..

The pair finished their remaining dango sticks in a comfortable silence, each of them simmering in their own thoughts. When finished, Anko paid the bill, and Naruto left a hefty tip for the waitress.

The lady was pretty and polite, so she totally deserved it.

* * *

"Oi, Naruto." Anko said, stopping them again. "Yeah?" The shorter girl looked up at the taller woman, curious as to what could possibly come next.

"I've got one more lesson for ya today, kiddo. This one is more kick-ass, I assure you."

"Ooookay?" The blonde gestured for her to continue.

"As you know, there are three main types of jutsu for ninja, genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu." Anko said, as they walked down the dirt path. Naruto quirked a blonde brow upwards in confusion.

"But there's more than that. There's fuinjutsu, juinjutsu, and bukijutsu. The first two I mentioned are sealing arts. But today, I want to tell you about bukijutsu. The art of using weapons in combat." Anko took a deep breath, preparing to impart more of her awesome wisdom on the young genin.

"Every ninja knows how to use shuriken and kunai. You'll find that, in the field, their effectiveness is pretty damn lackluster. Everyone can use them, so they're expected and easy to deflect. That's why my weapon of choice is senbon. They're better for incapacitating, poisoning, paralyzing, etcetera." She waved her hand dismissively, not looking to explain the many uses of throwing needles to her student. Especially since the girl already seemed so enthralled with the concept.

"But, they require precision and are way harder to learn. I don't want you to try out senbon just because I use them, though. I want you to find a weapon that calls to you, specifically. So, my sweet little genin, I hope you're ready to do some more shopping, because you're buying your newest tool today."

Naruto couldn't argue with that, even if taking up a new weapon seemed like a hassle, it made sense.

"Fiiine, but you better be prepared to show me how to use it." The girl grumbled, despite being excited internally.

She wasn't happy about the prospect of learning something from the ground up, but hell, that's life.

* * *

**_KONOHA WEAPON'S SHOP._ **

* * *

When they arrived at a large weapons store, Naruto was completely ready to just march right in and find something cool.

"Nuh-uh!" Anko said, yanking her back by the collar of her shirt.

"You aren't just gonna waltz in there and pick something that you think looks cool! You need to pick it based on how it feels.." Anko said, taking the hitai-ate that was tied around Naruto's arm.

The girl sweatdropped. Either her sensei was a tad bit crazy, or there was something to this she just didn't get.

The blonde released a sound akin to a squawk of surprise when Anko tied the Konoha headband from it's place around her eyes, forming a blindfold.

"Anko-sensei… I really don't get what the hell you're trying to teach me right now." The blonde admitted, throwing her hands up in surrender.

The purplette guffawed at her student's honesty, before opting to explain.

"Listen gaki, the weapons in this place are attuned to chakra. They're specifically made to match to chakra of the person lookin' to purchase, to create a special sorta connection between the weapon and the user.. So that means, you're gonna extend your chakra, and find whatever is calling out to you." Anko explained, putting her hands on the girls shoulders and leading her in.

Inside the shop, a young double-bun wearing girl and her father stood behind the counter. Anko hardly paid them any mind, and the Uzumaki started to focus.

She obviously couldn't see a thing, so her first thought was to use chakra to see.

And if she weren't of Uzumaki heritage, that would be impossible. Naruto had known for years that she could feel things about others that should be impossible, and she always chalked it up to her "gut instinct."

But when she focused her chakra, attempting to see without her eyes, she unlocked something else entirely.

Naruto was in possession of the Minds Eye of Kagura bloodline, and had no clue.

Suddenly, bright blue flowing silhouettes appeared around her, three to be exact.  
It was as if she was seeing the world from above her body, and she gasped in shock. She could feel the emotions in the flowing silhouette of Anko, pride and amusement, then curiosity. Her chakra felt strong, and guarded.

Naruto extended her senses to the two clerks, one of which was certainly a civilian. His reserves were abysmal, but she could feel the fondness he was directing at the chakra silhouette next to her. He turned, looking in their direction, and the other silhouette did the same.

Her chakra was what Naruto would consider average, it wasn't large, but not miniscule either. Just average.  
Her chakra felt.. Warm, like a bright spring afternoon..

Naruto felt her face pale upon realizing this wasn't normal. Was this some sort of sensory ability? She'd never even heard of such a thing!

She resolved to tell the Sandaime later tonight, and Anko as soon as..

As she picked out a weapon. She had been so enraptured in her new ability that she had completely forgotten what they came here for.

Naruto kept her ability active, focusing on her surroundings. She took in a deep breath, not seeing anything besides the people.

But then she felt it. A pulsing, of sorts. Like something was reaching back to her, reaching for her chakra.

Maintaining her focus, Naruto walked closer to the reaching weapon, making it feel like there was an itch beneath her skin as she walked closer.

Anko halted her suddenly, "Okay kid! Time to remove the blindfold!" The woman began untying the knot holding the headband over her eyes, and oddly enough, Naruto felt a slight headache coming along.

When her blue eyes fluttered open, she was astonished by the weapon in front of her.

"W-woah!" She muttered, looking at the odd weapon on the wall.

The weapon was large, presumably hefty. It had a small, weighted handle near the bottom, and a thick chain. The long, black chain connected the handle to an intimidating spike ball, easily the size of her head.

Without hesitation, Naruto took the weapon off the wall. She'd seen images of these in her textbooks, but she'd never paid attention to what they were.

The handle was a dark shade of burnt orange, her favorite color, and it matched her perfectly. "That, my precious little gaki, is a morning star. Or a meteor hammer, depending on who you ask.." Anko explained, "And it's actually a great fit for you." The woman tacked on, examining the weapon with her eyes.

That was when the younger clerk, the one with the warm, kind chakra walked over. She seemed equally excited about Naruto's choice, and even started a conversation.

"Oh wow! No one picks a weapon like that anymore! I'm guessing it picked you, though." The brunette girl said, smiling softly.

Naruto's new ability didn't seem to deactivate, because she still felt the warmth of that girl's chakra radiating off of her. She couldn't see it, but she could certainly _feel_ it.

"This kind of weapon is very effective for someone who's more on the unpredictable side, it's really flexible, you can use it for all sorts of things. Slamming, entrapping, and plenty more if you get creative. I've never actually been able to master one, they're too difficult for me to control." The girl explained, tilting her head slightly.

"This thing is totally awesome. Say, are you like, a weapons mistress or something? You're pretty well-informed." Naruto asked, partially absentmindedly.

She looked at the price tag, and for a weapon so well-crafted, it was shockingly inexpensive. Anko had already walked off to look around, otherwise Naruto would've probably shown her the price tag in disbelief.

The blonde concluded that this weapon must be pretty undesirable to the ninja around here, so the price was dropped. She'd never seen one in action, or even in person before now, so that was probably the truth.

"Oh wow, do I make it obvious? I am, actually. My name is Tenten, by the way." The girl said, following Naruto as she approached the counter to pay.

The other clerk was absent now, and Tenten quickly rushed behind the cash register.

"Cool name, I'm Naruto. Do you work here part-time or something?" Naruto asked, examining her surroundings. She quickly grabbed a storage storage scroll from a basket up front, and continued glancing around.

"Yup! This is my dad's shop, I work here when I'm not busy training or doing missions." Naruto wasn't surprised by this, she'd seen the girl's hitai-ate.

She pulled out her cute froggy wallet, named Gama-chan, and began counting out the proper amount of ryo.

"Say, Naruto, would you be up to spar with me sometime? I'd love to spar with a more.. Unconventional weapon user from time to time, if you're up for it." Tenten smiled at her, passing her the receipt as she spoke. She reached down behind the desk, shuffling through a box as she awaited Naruto's reply.

Although curious, Naruto didn't question her shuffling, and instead replied to her offer.

"Sure, I'm free every Saturday and Sunday, so if you're not busy, we could train together then." The blonde replied, fighting the urge to scream in joy.

Her first day as a genin had already been so fruitful. Her sensei bought her lunch and a new wardrobe, AND, she'd finally found an adult she could truly relate to! Then, she'd gotten a brand-new, super badass weapon, and now she had a potential sparring partner who was super nice! This easily had to be the best day of her life.

It would be hard not to smile right about now.

…..Oh, and she'd unlocked that cool sensory thing, which was already making chakra-sensing as easy _and_ as normal as breathing.

Tenten finally rose up from behind the counter, holding a thick, dusty book in her hands.

"Great, I'm free on Saturdays too! How about, 6 pm, every Saturday?" The girl asked, wiping off the cover of the book.

For once in a long time, Naruto was obscenely happy. She'd been faking so long, she'd forgotten how it felt to be truly happy. Today had started so different, and now? She was so content, despite the slight headache, she finally felt alive again.

"Sounds good to me, I'll see you then." Naruto said, reaching for her bag,

Before she grabbed it, Tenten dropped the large book inside. The girl tilted her head in confusion, but Tenten pulled it back out and tapped the cover.  
The title read, " _An Extensive Guide to Chain Weapons and Flails."_ Naruto rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly upon realization, and went to ask the price. Before she could even speak, Tenten wagged her pointer finger dismissively.

"It's on the house! You better study this thing good, too! I want a challenge this Saturday." Tenten said with a smile, putting the book back in the bag.

Naruto laughed softly, taking the bag.

"I'll study it front to back, dattebayo!" The blonde chirped, sensing Anko silently walking behind her.

"Alright kiddos, if you're done flirting, Naruto and I need to roll out before it's too dark." Said Anko, giving a cheeky wink. Tenten snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Later, Tenten-chan." Said Naruto, waving goodbye and Anko practically dragged her out.

The two walked in silence as Naruto shuffled to pull out her storage scroll, sealing her bags away in it. She put the roll of parchment in the scroll-holder loops on her utility leg garters, next to another scroll. The other one contained her clothes from earlier in the day, which she had sealed away for easy transport back home.

"Anko-sensei, I think I'm a sensor." Naruto blurted out suddenly, causing the taller woman to look over at her.

"Huh?" The woman asked dumbly, her face scrunched in disbelief.

"Er, well.. I've always had this weird ability to sense emotions, but.. In that shop earlier, I think I activated something. It's like I can feel all the chakra around me, and they all feel so different. I can sense the emotions in their chakra, too. Like that girl, her chakra felt warm, and kind. Before she even spoke to me." Naruto explained, stumbling over her words slightly.

"But that's not it. When I close my eyes and focus, I can see these, flowing silhouettes of chakra. They all look sort of similar, but they move kinda differently." She looked up at the sky, painted in blues and purples, with twinkling stars dangling above from invisible threads.

"Kid…"

"Yeah?" She stared up at the sky, the moon was carved by dark shadows into a sharp crescent, and Naruto found herself imagining it to be a smile.

"I think you might've unlocked some kind of bloodline, that ability, to see chakra like that, is beyond just sensory skills." Anko said, looking at her with a mix of incredulity and mirth.

"Wait, really? Should I go talk to Jiji over it?" Naruto asked, meeting Anko's gaze.

The taller woman snorted at the nickname, knowing it was in reference to the hokage.

"You definitely should. Tomorrow when we retrieve our first D-Rank, you can let him know." Anko said, looking back up to the sky  
The jounin was walking the girl home at this point, and she didn't really know why. Her student could certainly get home safe, but it felt right.

"Welp, this is it. Thanks a million for the clothes, and food, and.. Well, everything. I'll see you tomorrow, Anko-sensei." Naruto said with a shy smile.

Anko had never been good at responding to gratitude, so she just ignored it.

"You better get used to me, brat! Me and you are gonna be thick as thieves!" The purplette declared, breaking into a devious smile.

Naruto hesitated, and wrapped the woman in an awkward side-hug. Anko froze momentarily, giving the kid an equally awkward head pat.

The hug was gone as soon as it came, and Naruto walked up a few steps, before giving her a blinding smile. Just before turning the corner, the blonde threw up a peace-sign with her right hand.

"Damn right we will!" Naruto cheered, before running off to her apartment. Anko cackled at the small oddity which was her student, running a fair-skinned hand through her bangs.

The kid didn't even bother to hide her potty-mouth around her sensei, much like Anko herself when she was young.

* * *

Anko Mitarashi walked towards her home contentedly, glancing up at the moon.

"I'm already getting attached to the little snot. Shit, I must be getting soft." she muttered to herself, basking in the pale starlight.

* * *

When Naruto arrived back in her apartment, she was more happy than she'd been in a long while. She rushed to her bedroom, throwing herself onto her bed and burying her grinning face into a soft pillow.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto was up bright and early. Her blonde locks were disheveled in their respective pigtails, which she'd left up overnight. She raked the brush through her unruly hair, grumbling softly. "Stupid long hair.." The girl mumbled, tossing the brush away with fury. The handle became embedded in her wall, and she

walked off to finish her morning routine.

In an hour, the girl was ready to meet her sensei. She'd eaten a healthy breakfast of microwaveable ramen, and some orange juice of course, and now she was prepared to tackle the day. The young blonde barrelled out of her apartment with renewed vigor, practically dancing her way to the Hokage's tower.

Internally, Naruto was jamming to one of her favorite songs, which had enough electric guitar and shouty-lyrics to fill her with energy. She'd wished she'd given it a listen before she left, she didn't use that radio she'd gotten out of the garbage nearly enough…

Her collection of CD's might be measly, but the people at that shop were always nice, so she could get more whenever her mission payments finally come along/

The fiery girl didn't give the hateful glares boring into her a single thought, even once she'd arrived outside the building. She tapped her foot to the beat of the song in her head, oblivious to her approaching sensei.

"Oi, brat! You're awfully chipper this morning." Anko greeted, hands on her hips.

The allegedly chipper girl nodded enthusiastically, cracking a smile. "Of course! I'm actually happy today, 'ttebayo!" Anko chuckled, looking up at the bright blue sky for a moment.

"Welp, let's get to it then. Hope you like chores, kiddo, because it's time for you to do your first D-rank." The woman said, walking at a leisurely pace into the Hokage's tower.

Naruto was just a step or so behind her, tilting her head slightly. "Chores?"

* * *

**_HOKAGE'S TOWER._ **

* * *

Shinobi and citizens alike were scattered throughout the building, and Naruto felt vague remnants of their emotions wavering off of those who got too close.

Some seemed bored, others frantic, many were indifferent.

"Yup," Anko confirmed, popping the p. She continued, "D-ranks are just glorified chores, But you've gotta do about fifty of these before you can even take a C-rank."

Naruto groaned loudly, ignoring the people bustling around the building around her.

"That means I'll be doing these for ages!" She said, slumping slightly. They walked up the stairs, passing a few shinobi on their way.

"Suck it up, buttercup." The purplette said nonchalantly, turning a corner. Naruto harrumphed, following behind here nonetheless.

The pair walked into the Hokage's office, the door wide already open. "Hokage-sama." Anko greeted, giving a curt bow. She didn't bother correcting Naruto, who didn't bow at all, because she was still sulking over the idea of doing chores.

"Ah! Anko-kun, Naruto-kun!" Greeted the Sandaime, his voice as grandfatherly and warm as ever. The elderly man had a small smile on his lips, noticing how Naruto had forgone the orange jumpsuit. It seemed that the pigtails were there to stay, though..

Naruto, remembering the awakening of her new bloodline, snapped out of her gloomy stupor.

She decided to use it in his office, hoping to see/feel the Hokage's chakra in greater detail. The natural sensor part of her needed no activation or focus, which meant she could always feel chakra signatures, and the feelings associated with them.

But when she closed her eyes and focused, she could see them.

The girl shut her actual eyes, feeling her "third eye" open. Around the building, dozens of chakra signatures were scattered. She could even feel presences outside of the building, but even considering seeking those out made her feel a tad woozy. The sensation of it all was nearly overwhelming, so the girl opted to focus on the office in which she currently stood. To her right was Anko, who's chakra was just as guarded as yesterday. It felt slightly anxious, but overall, it felt… Happy? No, pleasant. It felt like positive neutrality, if Naruto had to name it.

In front of her, was the Old Man, or Jiji, or the Sandaime, or even The Professor.

All of those were names which she knew him by, and suddenly she truly understood why he was considered such an almighty shinobi.

The elderly man's chakra was astounding, he had a plethora of it, all neatly contained and warm. It was luminescent in a way which assured power.

She was even more surprised when she saw six other presences composed of that same flowy blue chakra. Three on each side of the room, each one only slightly weaker than her sensei. They all seemed relaxed, but ready.

' _Guards, they must be ANBU.._ ' Naruto deduced, opening her eyes once again.

"Oi, Old Man! Guess who unlocked a super cool bloodline!" Naruto declared suddenly.

She could feel amusement and irritation in the woman next to her, but was nonetheless surprised when Anko chopped her directly on the head.

"Ow! What the hell!" Naruto said, glaring as she rubbed her poor, poor, skull.

"You don't just declare that kinda stuff, brat!"

Anko shut the door to the Hokage's office, before returning to her student, noticing the look of apprehension on the Hokage's face. Naruto didn't even need to see his face to notice it, she could feel it radiating off of him.

_Apprehension, worry, confusion, amusement, anticipation.._

"Naruto, what do you mean?" The Sandaime asked, steepling his hands. His voice was stern and calm, an attempt to hide his feelings. With Naruto's ever-improving bloodline, that would be a fruitless endeavor, though.

"I can sense, see, feel- chakra signatures! Or like, chakra silhouettes. They're like, blue shadows- except instead of shade they're made of flowing chakra." Naruto said, struggling to find the right words.

The Hokage let his mouth gape just slightly.

"I can feel the emotions from them, their presences, without even focusing. But when I close my eyes and focus, I can see them, their locations, their strength, all of it."

The Hokage's eyes widened, and Anko fought the urge to smirk. ' _Hell yeah! My brat's got an awesome bloodline! Eat that, fellow jounin!'_ She thought.

In a frail attempt at receiving proof, the Hokage made a command, "Naruto, can you see, or feel, everything in this room?" He worded his sentence carefully, so he didn't reveal his ANBU guards.

Of course, Naruto had already seen them.

"Duh! I can feel all six of the ANBU here. Three left, three right. The one in the upper right side of the room has some special chakra katana, too." The girl explained, before tacking on an additional statement. "Oh, now they're all kind freaked out that I noticed them."

Anko Mitarashi couldn't help but snort as the six ANBU revealed themselves, spotting her friend Yugao in the upper-right corner. Naruto was right, Yugao's blade remained impossibly sharp due to its occasional intake of chakra.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, however, was baffled. He'd assumed Naruto had some ability from the Kyuubi no Yoko she'd noticed, worst case scenario. Best case scenario, he'd assumed that she had awakened the chakra chains her mother possessed. But this? This is something else entirely.

He'd heard of the allegedly legendary sensory abilities of the Uzumaki clan, and he knew the name of this particular ability. But, there was another part to this new bloodline of hers. Mind's Eye of Kagura enabled the ability to see the chakra of others, but feeling it? Sarutobi knew of that ability too, and it belonged to the woman known as Mito Uzumaki.

"How spectacular, Naruto-kun.. It seems you have some enhanced version of the Mind's Eye of Kagura bloodline.." He said, taking a long hit from his tobacco pipe. Truly, it was spectacular. He'd never expected Naruto to unlock an Uzumaki bloodline, considering how her father's genes seemed to overrule Kushina's.

"Enhanced?" Naruto asked, face scrunched in confusion. "Yes, your ability to sense emotions was never documented as a trait from Mind's Eye of Kagura. Matter of fact, Mito Uzumaki possessed the ability to feel nearby emotions, but not Mind's Eye of Kagura.. It seems you have both, child." The Sandaime explained, still barely accepting the reality of Naruto's new bloodline.

It opened so many paths for the girl, paths which no one would've ever expected for. She's a bonafide sensory nin now, which means she could be placed in nearly any squad. He felt a swell of pride in the girl's new discovery.

"That's awesome!" The girl declared.

"Yes, yes.. However, I can't tell you much about the ability. Records on anything Uzumaki related are scarce, including bloodlines. You'll have to explore the depths of your newfound bloodline on your own." Said the old man, leaning back in his chair.

"Is that all you need?" He asked, looking between Anko and Naruto.

"Nope, I'm actually here to take the gaki on her first D-rank!" Anko said, to which Hiruzen began shuffling through his papers. "I see, this one should be easy enough for one genin. Good luck, Naruto-kun." He said, giving a polite smile to the blonde girl, who folded her arms. Her sensei chuckled as she walked out, Naruto following behind her once again.

* * *

When they arrived at their destination, Naruto was less than happy to be pulling weeds. That was, until Anko introduced the girl to a game-changer.

"If you hate it so much, why not just summon some shadow clones to help?" The woman, who was currently stretched out in a tree, suggested.

Naruto's jaw fell open, then snapped shut, then fell open again. It was like watching a fish out of water, until the girl finally came up with a coherent reply.

"Anko-sensei, you're a genius!" The girl said, before making the basic hand sign.

"I know." The jounin replied, just as Naruto cast the jutsu. She summoned two clones, or bunshin, to her side. "Get to work, maggots!" She said, prompting a snort from her teacher.

"Yes, boss!" The clones said, rushing off to finish the job for her.

In less than an hour, they were finished with Naruto's first D-rank "mission."

"Cool. Now we have to go drop this off in the Hokage Tower lobby, then we can get started on your Tuesday Taijutsu Training." Anko said, accentuating the t's.

Naruto expelled her clones, and was surprised when their memories rushed into her mind. The memories fit in perfectly, as if she'd done the actions herself. She even felt a phantom pain in her hand, where a clone had pricked itself on a thorn.

She rubbed her hand slightly, before noticing her teacher had started to walk off without her.

"Hey, wait up!" Shouted the blonde, rushing after her teacher.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: The formatting on this chapter was absolutely horrendous and no one said a word! It's fixed now, though, RIP to the old Author's Note tho.
> 
> Song this chapter: 'Rebel Girl,' by Bikini Kill.
> 
> Thank you for reading, reviews are always welcome~
> 
> Edited on 12/10/2020.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto learns, meets a man Named Ibiki, and trains with her new friend.

" _ **...So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)**_

_**Steady as she goes, are you steady now..?"** _

* * *

_**TRAINING GROUND 44..** _

* * *

Near the outskirts of Konoha, Naruto and her teacher were about to start Tuesday's training.

"Okay, kiddo! I'm gonna start you off with some stretches, then some calisthenics, and then I'll show you the katas for the taijutsu style my bastard of a sensei created!" Anko said, stopping right outside the fenced-in forest of Training Ground 44.

Naruto fought the urge to stare at the looming, dark forest held back by wire fences just a few meters away. She could've sworn she saw some glowing red eyes hidden in those shadows…

"Er, calisthenics..?" Asked the blonde, tilting her head. Anko slammed her palm to her forehead, suppressing a groan.

"Kid, it's like… Okay, calisthenics help build your muscles, and the stretches will improve your flexibility. And katas are the forms you'll use for your taijutsu style. Which, by the way, is called the Hebi, or Snake style. Any more questions or can we get into this?" The tokubetsu jounin asked, her impatience seeping into her words.

Naruto searched her mind for questions, before shrugging. "Nope!" She replied curtly.

Her sensei rolled her eyes, before beginning her demonstration. "First, let's do our stretches."

The woman began leaning to her side, one arm inches from the ground and the other at her side. Naruto mimicked her movements, although with less ease. Anko repeated this stretch, bending to the opposite side, before moving on.

For ten minutes, the jounin showed her student stretches, while Naruto parroted her movements.

"Okay, great, you gotta stretch to stay nimble, and fluid, or whatever… Now, drop and give me fifty, maggot!" Anko said, cracking a devious smile.

"Huuuh?" Asked the girl, tilting her head once again.

"50 push ups! Now! Drop!" Shouted her sensei, snapping her fingers. Naruto dropped to the ground, starting her pushups with fury. She mumbled under her breath, counting each pushup. Anko turned, preparing to practice her aim, but didn't get the chance.

"Finished!" Declared Naruto, sucking in deep breaths. She was once again standing on her two feet, slightly slumped.

"Fifty more! Scratch that, one hundred! More stretches to cool down, and then… Then I want pull ups on that tree branch, until your arm turn to noodles! And more stretches, then er, squats! Two hundred squats!" Anko improvised, purposefully giving the kid a regiment completely impossible for a beginner.

She needed to make sure her senbon accuracy was still beyond perfection, and she couldn't do that with the kid finishing 50 pushups in 2 minutes.

The ball of golden fury known as Naruto whined, but dropped back to the ground. "I'll show you!" She said indignantly, under her breath.

Anko stalked off, beginning her senbon practice. The purplette began her practice, first starting by hitting specific areas on a nearby tree base. When that no longer satisfied her, she began aiming to pierce the leaves. And then, she started aiming with her eyes closed.

About fourty-five minutes later, her student called out to her.

"I'm.. Finished!" The girl said, wiping sweat from her forehead. ' _I swear I'm gonna use this kid for target practice!'_ Anko growled internally, turning on her heel

She was shocked that her student even managed the makeshift routine, let alone finish it so quickly. And besides being out of breath and sweaty, the girl didn't even seem exhausted.

It was then that she got a _genius_ idea.

"You know what? I need to practice my accuracy, so why don't we do some evasion training before we move onto katas?" Anko suggested, more like demanded, with a sadistic gleam in her eyes.

Naruto blanched, but before she could sputter out some reply, she was hit by a senbon in her left arm.

The senbon pierced her skin, and she made a girly squeak. "Aw, I missed." Anko said, making an exaggerated pouty-face. Naruto yanked the senbon out, growling.

"How the hell did ya miss when you got me in the arm, 'ttebane!?" The injured blonde asked indignantly.

"I was aiming for your heart, gaki." The gaki in question squeaked, narrowly avoiding three more of the throwing needles.

"Crazy ass sensei! Kichigai! Are you trying to kill me?!" She asked, leaping away from two other senbon, waving her good, unharmed arm ostentatiously.

"Two words: Evasion. Training." Said her sensei, as if it somehow explained everything.

The young jinchuriki roared in fury, as the dangerous game between student and sensei began.

It started out messily, Naruto getting speared and nicked by the needles, before she eventually began to catch on. The girl had never considered herself nimble, but this _so-called training_ was changing that. Needles whizzed past her sides, over her head, narrowly missing over and over again.

Her sensei was never genuinely aiming to hurt her student, even if she thought the way that Naruto reacted to nearly being pierced was quite funny.

It only stopped when Anko ran out of her needles, which currently littered the ground around them. If Naruto had to guess, she would've assumed that Anko hid nearly three hundred needles in that trench coat of hers…

If she ever decided to learn how to use those kami-forsaken needles, she'd have to get her own trench coat. After all, it's stylish and practical.

Both the student and the sensei were out of breath as they collected the needles from the ground, thankfully, no animals were harmed during this particularly destructive method of training. It didn't take long for them to gather all the silver needles, and Naruto gave them back to her demented teacher.

"Well, that was fun! Ready for more training, or are you gonna tap out?" Asked Anko teasingly, but still taking notice of her tiring student. She wanted the girl to continue, to push herself, but she'd never force the kid to exhaustion.

Her student was littered with small nicks, the size of cat scratches. There were small tears in her clothing, nothing she couldn't sew back, and her existing wounds would heal in no time.

Despite Naruto losing a lot of her energy, she still felt capable of continuing.

"Hell no! I don't ever give up, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted ferociously, to which Anko only chuckled. "Alright then, it's time I show you something other than the pathetic excuse of a taijutsu style they teach at the academy." Anko declared, shoving her needles back into their places, hidden inside her coat.

She tossed her coat to the side, letting it land in a heap on the ground.

"First off, this is called the Hebi Style. It's heavily inspired by the Budo taijutsu style, but with a better focus on flexible movements to avoid attacks, and strong defenses when you can't swerve away. So basically, you dodge whenever possible. If that's not an option, take up this position.." Anko shifted into a defensive move, her arms raised in a block, and her feet as far apart as her shoulders.

Naruto knew that her feet were in that position to remain firmly planted in the ground, despite never having heard of this particular style. She parroted her teacher, shifting her body into a wonky version of the same block.

"You're too stiff, kid. As I said, this style focuses on fluidity and evasion for the most part. This means that, once you've finally mastered it, you'll be prepared to fight unarmed and armed opponents with your taijutsu alone." Anko explained. She was struggling to explain to her student, and shifted into the same defensive position once again, allowing her student to copy her once again.

"What do you mean by finally mastered?" The blonde asked, her own impatience beginning to show.

"What did you expect? Taijutsu styles aren't something you learn after a month. It takes hard work, observation, and total dedication. And once you've got the basics, you've got to learn how to tweak it. How to shift the positions just slightly to accommodate your size, while still being effective... and of course other stuff too, which comes with experience..."

For once, Naruto quelled her defiance, and nodded obediently. It took her years to fully conquer the academy style, she really shouldn't be surprised that this new style would take ages to learn as well. Anko shifted into another kata, and Naruto followed to the best of her untrained ability.

"The Budo aspect of this style lies in the focus on balance and distance. Just like Budo, the Hebi style is all about using your opponents moves to your advantage. So, by retaining perfect balance, you remain firmly planted and ready to go whenever necessary. So, perfect balance opens the door for fluidity. And, as for distance.. By closely watching the movements of your opponent, you can tell where they'll strike next. Watch." Anko shifted barely, her left arm extending.

Naruto slid her left side away, retaining balance, but remaining too stiff.

Whether Anko knew it or not, she was gaining even more of her student's respect. Anko may not have been the best at explaining, but her teaching was perfect for the blonde. The jounin was intelligent, but didn't use words or terms or wordy explanations that Naruto couldn't understand. She explained the premise, and why it was important, then showed her what to do. And that suited Naruto just fine.

"Good enough, for now. In a real fight, your enemy won't be that obvious. Instead, they'll strike the moment you notice they're going to move, or they'll change plans. So, let's see if you've retained what I've shown you so far." Anko said, taking up the starting position.

Her feet were firmly planted, but her arms seemed relaxed, despite being in a perfect kata.

Naruto went to deliver a punch to her teacher, who dodged easily, swerving left. Somehow, the woman's feet were still firmly in place, just as far apart as her shoulders.

Naruto watched her sensei carefully, losing some of the rigidness in her form.

She noticed her sensei's right arm rush forward, and Naruto tried to mimic her sensei's swerve. Instead of remaining perfectly in place, she ended up falling right on her behind.

Anko chuckled lightly, offering her hand. "Like I said, kid. It's about balance, fluidity, and using your enemy's moves against them. Once you get these katas burned into your memory, which will take a few months, you can start changing it up a bit. More offensive moves, or whatever suits you best. "

And so the morning continued, with Naruto trying, failing, and trying again, while Anko tried her best to be a good teacher. However, 2 PM soon arrived, and Anko had to leave for work at T&I.

"Okay kid, I gotta head out. Take a break from all this, and work on your new weapon until 5. I'll see you tomorrow for another D-rank." She ruffled the blonde's unruly hair, giving her a small smile.

"Where are you going?" Naruto asked curiously, plopping down onto the dirt ground.

"Got work. There are spies to torture and thugs to interrogate." Anko gave a lazy wave as she walked off, and Naruto obviously didn't follow. She watched her sensei disappear over the horizon, feeling the afternoon sun shine down on her.

She sighed, before unsealing her weapon and the book Tenten gave her.

"What's that phrase again? Ain't no rest for the wicked?" Naruto asked herself, flipping open the book. "Yeah, no rest for the wickedly cool. Especially if you're a wickedly cool girl with a wickedly cool name like Naruto." She muttered nonsensically, eyeing her weapon with tired blue irises.

"Welp, there's no time like the present…" She stood up, and began practicing the attacks shown in her books on an innocent, nearby oak tree.

* * *

That night, Naruto went home more exhausted than she'd been in maybe her entire life. Her muscles felt light, but like overcooked ramen noodles at the same time..

Limp, and mushy…

She shuddered, throwing herself down onto the orange loveseat which served as her couch. Her sweat-soaked, dirt covered clothes practically made her skin crawl, and she briefly wondered when she had become such a..

Such a _girl!_ Old Naruto certainly wouldn't be disgusted by a little sweat. And blood. And dirt, and tears...

Nonetheless, Naruto carried her weary body to the shower, to where she mourned for her torn muscles and lackluster water heater.

She practically dragged herself out of the lukewarm, soon to be cold, shower water.

Naruto gathered her blonde hair into one large ponytail, detangling the soaked golden locks with her brush. She yanked it from the wall it was stuck in, and gently brushed it out.

Before she went to bed, the girl ate three servings of microwaveable ramen, each a different flavor. "Sweet, sweet bed…" She murmured, relaxing into her neon orange comforter, face nuzzled into the equally orange pillow.

Naruto awoke the next day just like the one before, her soreness and exhaustion nearly gone. She knew that it was either the Kyuubi, or some other special Uzumaki thing. Speaking of which, Naruto realized she definitely needed to do more research on her heritage.

Which led her to her current situation…

* * *

**_KONOHA'S SHINOBI LIBRARY._ **

* * *

Right after Naruto finished her supposed D-rank "mission" with Anko, they went their separate ways. Mitarashi had to go into the T&I office early on Wednesdays, which was why the Uzumaki was left to her own devices.

And so, Naruto landed herself here, hurriedly scouring the shelves on the Konoha Shinobi Library's shelves. The librarian was kind, but seemed busy, so Naruto didn't want to bother her for help.

She had been searching the C-section in the history division of the library for nearly ten minutes, when she finally found what she was looking for. "Clans of Konoha: An Official and Extensive Alphabetically Organized Book of each Major Clan."

The long-winded title nearly made her snicker, and she began flicking through the dusty pages.

She spotted several familiar names as she searched for Uzumaki, such as Akimichi, Auburame, Nara, Inuzuka, but of course there was no Mitarashi. Right after she flipped past the page called, "UCHIHA," she found what she was looking for.

* * *

_ "UZUMAKI: _

_One of the three founding clans of Konoha, the Uzumaki spiral is prominently featured throughout the village, notably on the Chuunin and Jounin uniforms. Uzumaki are fearsome warriors, known for exceptional healing abilities and long lifespans. Despite being renowned for their proficiency in fuinjutsu, there are other notable feats associated with this prestigious clan. They have strange chakra, able to manifest outside of the body. It is also noted that Uzumaki's have a bloodline capable of chakra sensing, which has been compared to the Byakugan. These sensors use some sort of 'third eye.'_

_Uzumaki are physically known for their fair skin and red hair. It is also said that Uzumaki's are all mentally unwell, but that is hearsay entirely unfounded by science._

_UPDATE: The Uzumaki are now seemingly extinct. Their homeland, Uzushiogakure, or The Land of Whirlpools, has been nearly annihilated by a combined attack from enemy villages. May their legend live on in their surviving descendants and fuinjutsu developments."_

* * *

The entry ended there, and Naruto felt a crippling sense of wistfulness dawn on her. Of course her family were gone, it seemed obvious. She was an orphan, and she was the only one with the last name Uzumaki in her entire village.

They must've been truly powerful for enemy villages to ally up and destroy them, that much Naruto was certain of. She decided then that she would hold pride in her name, even if those around her didn't know the story of her lost clan.

Fuinjutsu, though… She'd heard her sensei mention that before.. Maybe, just maybe, she'd check it out someday.

She closed her book, and returned it to its place on a nearby shelf.

The blonde Uzumaki was yanked from her musings when a high-pitched voice called out to her.

"Naruto? What are _you_ doing here?" The voice asked, getting an agitated sigh from the blonde.

She turned her head towards the voice, her pigtails whipping behind her at the break-neck speed.

She was surprised when she saw a familiar pinkette, emerald eyes staring at her with disbelief. She scowled at the taller girl, who looked even more taken aback after that.

"I was reading, Haruno. Duh." Naruto replied, surprised at her own snarkiness.

At least she wasn't pretending to crush on the girl anymore, though.. That… Was a huge regret of hers. Trying to make friends because she crushed on the prettiest girl in class, just like every boy did, was not a good tactic. Who knew.

She tried to push back her own feelings of embarrassment as Sakura's feelings crashed down upon her. Her slightly pesky sensory ability picked up on the pinkette's feelings with ease, without even trying.

_Disbelief, anger, indignance, curiosity.._

"Welp, have a nice day, Pinky! I've got some relaxin' to do." Naruto said, fully prepared to go home and slack off. She'd probably eat some ramen, read a bunch of that book Tenten gave her, jam out to some music, and then crash for the night.

Yup, that'd be exactly what she'd do.

And Naruto was completely content with that.

As for Sakura, well.. She was entirely confused. She had come to get some weekly reading done, and she was caught off guard by seeing Naruto here..

She was surprised that Naruto had even managed to become a genin. None of the Rookie 9 had even heard from Naruto, even her old friends Choji and Shikamaru hadn't seen the blonde. Naturally, Sakura and a few others just assumed she'd failed her secondary genin test.

Clicking her tongue, Sakura began looking for her newest book. At least she'd have some new gossip to exchange with Ino next time she saw her.

When Thursday arrived, Naruto once again started her day with her sensei. After finishing three D-ranks with the use of her clones, it was time for what Naruto was most excited for.

"Today, we're goi-"

"NINJUTSU TRAINING RIGHT?CMONLETSJUSTGETSTARTEDALREADY!" Naruto said excitedly, her words meshing together into an incoherent sentence.

Anko sighed, briefly glancing at The Forest of Death only a few meters away.

She could always just toss the kid in and call it survival training..

The honey-eyed woman shooed that thought away, pinching the bridge of her nose for a moment. "...We'll get there eventually, but first I need to see what you're working with."

Anko reached into her over-the-shoulder satchel, pulling out two peculiar pieces of paper. She passed the two slips of white paper to her student, who practically glared down at them.

"Are you gonna make me study or something?" Naruto asked, furrowing her blonde eyebrows.

"...No, Naruto. No studying. One of those pieces of paper will tell us your chakra affinity, and the other will tell us about how much you've got in those reserves of yours." Anko explained, running a hand through her messy purple bangs.

Blue eyes stared at her with a look of complete incredulity.

"Hold one in each hand. One will react to chakra nature, and the other will change color based on your reserves. The colored one will become more vibrant based on how much you have, and will turn either red or blue to indicate your level of control. Purple would be average, red would mean piss-poor, and blue would mean great."

Naruto put one slip of paper in each hand, and her jounin continued her explanation.

"The other paper will change based on your affinity, which is your chakra's primary nature. Earth crumbles to dirt, fire turns to ash, you get the point." Anko finished lamely, looking down at her students' hands.

"Well? Get to it, squirt! Focus your chakra into the papers!" The taller woman directed, feeling a sensation of anticipation over Naruto's results.  
Naruto closed her eyes tight, focusing on her chakra.  
She could feel her blue chakra flowing throwing her tenketsu, and she could feel the mass of evil chakra resting in her gut. Knowing that was the kyuubi made it easier to avoid that foul mass of crimson resting in her core, and she tried to remain focused on the blue.

The blue was tranquil, determined, it was hers, and hers alone.

She pushed the chakra to her hands, feeling a bullet of sweat travel down her brow. She didn't need a piece of paper to tell her that her chakra control was horrible, she could feel it herself. It was a struggle to just make a normal clone, even after her forced training with that bastard Ebisu, which felt like centuries ago by now.

The young genin opened her eyes when she heard the sound of paper tearing.

Her sensei was openly gawking at the results, especially when the torn paper lit aflame, turning to ash. In her other hand, the paper was a bright shade of red, with the slightest pink tint to it.

Naruto rubbed the back of her neck with her empty hand, looking sheepish.

"So.. You've got wind and fire affinities, massive reserves, and practically no control. I hate to say that it makes sense." The blonde screwed her lips to the side, unsure of what to say to that.

"Ebisu already told me I was a wind affinity, and he made it pretty obvious that I had zero control too." Naruto said, shrugging. It was true, Ebisu had told her those things, although he had never exactly proved them.

He didn't feel the need apparently, instead opting to taunt her during the entirety of their training. In all honesty, if the whiskered girl ever saw Ebisu again, it'd be too soon.

She _really_ disliked him.

"Did he? The Hokage told me about how he forced you to train under that guy. Tch, with the stick up that guy's ass, I'd imagine it was borderline torture." Anko mused, looking up at the sky with distaste etched into her face. Briefly, Naruto wondered how they knew each other. Clearly Anko didn't like Ebisu, either.

"You're wrooong." Naruto chirped playfully, to which Anko sent her a look of confusion.

Before she could ask the blonde jinchuriki to elaborate, Naruto spoke again.

"Ebisu doesn't have a stick up his ass. Actually, there's a whole tree in there. Like, an entire tree just took up residency inside his ass, 'ttebayo. Could be an entire forest."

Anko fought off a snort, before breaking into a peal of howling laughter. In response to her sensei's laughter, Naruto crumbled into tomboyish chortling.

"It's a miracle the creep can even walk." Naruto added, looking at her sensei with mirthful eyes.

"I don't even wanna know what kind of creatures would survive in Ebisu's Ass Forest ecosystem." Anko said, her face scrunched in amused disgust.

The woman fell down onto her back, a hand on her stomach as she laid against the dirt ground.

"Are you.." A fit of giggles interrupted her sentence, "Okay, Anko-sensei?" The blonde asked, a foxy grin plastered on her face.

If anyone were to see the current scene, they would've definitively concluded that Naruto Uzumaki and Anko Mitarashi were entirely off their rockers. Insane, clinically nuts, or just mentally unwell.

After all, seeing two females sitting right outside the most horrifying training ground in all of Konoha, cackling to themselves, is certainly a sight to behold. This sight only grows more odd, when you realize these particular girls are universally feared and distrusted by their village. And once more, it grows odder when the older of the two is rolling in the dirt howling, while the young jinchuriki is pointing and laughing.

Anko eventually regained control of herself, wiping unshed tears of joy from her eyes.

"I have no idea why that was so damn hilarious." She said plainly, still grinning like a madwoman. The blonde tittered, taking in sharp breaths.

The two sat in silence for a minute, before Anko abruptly remembered what they came here for. "Shit, I'm supposed to help you with your ninjutsu." She said, still laying against the dirt ground. The pair were silent once again, Naruto's blue eyes occasionally flickering over to her sensei.

_Wistfulness, joy, nostalgia, amusement.._

Those feelings emanated from her sensei, and Naruto tried to push her sensory abilities away. It almost felt like intruding, reading her teacher's feelings like that.

She fought to suppress the ability, and when her eyes closed so he could better focus, she noticed something else entirely.

Her constantly guarded teacher was no longer guarded. Anko wasn't hiding her feelings, or true self. Her chakra was relaxed, open. Naruto would've gawked, had she not been so happy to discover it.

Part of her urged herself to suppress her ability, to shove it away, to stop intruding. A nagging sensation of guilt dwelled within her as she extended her senses towards her sensei. Her flowing blue silhouette was finally showing itself, and Naruto took her chance.

Her sensei's chakra felt like a cool day in October, when it's neither blisteringly hot nor bone-chillingly cold. She wasn't warm like Tenten, but she wasn't cold like those ANBU guards.

It was comforting, a mature kind of protectiveness residing within her.

Naruto smiled softly to herself, Anko felt like how she imagined an older sister would. She was just about to stop reading her sensei's chakra, when she felt something else entirely.

The blonde sensor nearly flinched when she noticed it. Much like the Kyuubi within herself, Naruto's sensei had her own mass of evil chakra in her.

In her sensei's shoulder, there was a small orb of something malignant. It was a concentrated ball of pure darkness, causing her skin to crawl.

Her eyes snapped over, meeting the expectant gaze of her sensei. "Checkin' me out, eh?" Anko asked teasingly, trying to hide the solemn undertone to her voice.

Anko knew her student was reading her chakra, she'd learned that when Naruto closes her eyes and goes silent, she's probably reading nearby chakra. She'd seen her student do it several times now.

"You- Your shoulder!" Naruto sputtered out, covering her mouth immediately after. Anko remained collected, even though long-gone feelings of anger, disgust and betrayal rose from within her like bile in a sickly person's throat.

In a way, she did feel a bit sickly at the thought of her cursed mark. Anko allowed the awkward silence to linger in the air, trying to tame her emotions. She wanted to scream, to tell Naruto not to shove her nose where it didn't belong. She wanted to cry, because she'd never truly recovered from her sensei's betrayal. She wanted to hug her student, to explain that's how she understood the girl so well.

There were so many conflicting emotions, that she opted for silence. Silence would be the safest option as for now.

Although the silence was safe, it soon grew unbearable. Like a hefty weight crushing down on her, crushing any remnants of her previously pleasant mood. The air seemed thick, hard to breath, nearly suffocating.

Anko had to leave. She needed to go. To find a place where she could breathe, where she could calm herself, and decide where to go from here.

"We'll finish this talk later. You'll need to work on your chakra control for the next few weeks before I'll show you any jutsu. I'll see you tomorrow, kiddo." She said, biting back all her emotions.

Naruto just nodded dumbly, watching as her sensei stood up, and walked away.

"You're such a screw-up, Naruto.." She mumbled to herself, remaining on the ground. Her sensei had been unguarded, trusting her, and Naruto had violated that trust.

What if she never trusted her again? What if her sensei hated her now?

Naruto felt that earlier nagging sensation grow into a clawing beast, tearing at her for being so stupid. She cared about her teacher, who was quickly becoming like an older sister.

Now what would she do?

Anko had told her to practice chakra control… But, Naruto only knew one chakra control exercise, and that was the one Ebisu taught her.

Tree-walking it is, then..

She went for a running start, her ninja sandals cracking the bark as she desperately tried to run higher. The girl only made it about halfway before she fell, landing on the ground in an undignified heap.

She shouted in frustration, faced with the reality that tree-walking was even harder than she remembered.

"This sucks!" The girl announced to the world around her, which only consisted of untamed wildlife. People never came out here, she was entirely alone out by Training Ground 44. "Everything sucks!" She added, as a sort of afterthought.

"Well, not everything.." Naruto continued, counting the things in her life which didn't suck. Ramen didn't suck, it was the food of gods. Her sensei, Anko, is the awesome-est kunoichi ever, so she doesn't suck either. Her sorta-friends back at the academy weren't so bad, either.

Momentarily, she pondered what her life would be like if she were on a team.

What if she were with Shikamaru and Choji? Or Kiba and Hinata? Or even Shino and Sasuke? She could've even been teamed with civilians, like that mean girl Ami or the brilliant Sakura. It seemed there were so many possibilities out there, yet she had landed here.

She had no team, but she had her sensei. She didn't really have any true friends, either.

But that could change, she'd met Tenten because of sensei, and she was certain they'd be friends eventually.

At least Naruto wasn't alone anymore, she had Anko. Of course, she'd had Iruka-sensei and the Old Man before then, but.. Iruka was simply a kind teacher, while the Sandaime Hokage was just doing his job.

Anko-sensei was different. They had a kinship, and Anko had chosen her as a student. Next time she sees her sensei, she'll apologize for what she did. And hopefully, they can move on from there..

Naruto sighed, before picking herself up off the ground. There would be no use in moping, she had work to do. She was determined to get strong enough to become a chuunin 5 ½ months from now. She would become a strong chuunin, and she'd make her sensei proud.

It didn't matter that the road ahead was rocky, because Naruto was ready for it.

She was determined to roll with the punches, to become better.

Naruto Uzumaki wouldn't give up, even when faced by a daunting workload, uncomfortable odds, and the torturous training referred to as tree-walking.

She would have to build her strength from the ground up, and damn it, she was ready!

When Naruto finished her internal pep-talk, she rushed at the tree in front of her once again.

* * *

**_KONOHA'S MOST POPULAR BARBEQUE RESTAURANT_ **

* * *

Meanwhile, with Sakura, Ino, and their four unfortunate teammates...

The group of 6 were currently having lunch at a local barbeque restaurant, owned by the Akimichi clan.

Of course, Team Seven had been headed there of their own volition, when they encountered Team Ten.

"Hey, Ino-pig, been a while!" Sakura said, slightly smug. Ever since Ino focused her fangirling towards Sakura's other teammate, Sai, they'd become more friendly with one another. That didn't mean that the hurling of petty insults had stopped, though.

It probably never would, in all honesty.

"Well, well. If it isn't the girl with the biggest forehead in all of Konoha! Sakura-chan, it's such a _delight_ to see you." The blonde Yamanaka ground out, an equally smug expression on her face. A vein nearly popped in the pinkette's forehead, who took a seat across from the blonde.

Shikamaru nearly groaned when he realized that Team Seven were joining them, and Sasuke scowled at the same realization.

Sasuke hadn't wanted to get dragged out with his teammates in the first place, but Sai's mocking had forced him to begrudgingly tag along.

Sai took a seat right beside Sakura, across from Shikamaru, and Sasuke filed in after him.

Choji, being the polite boy he was, seemed entirely unbothered by the newcomers, and the aggressive girls.

When everyone had finally made their orders and gotten comfortable, conversation finally broke out. And by that, it meant that Shikamaru and Choji were making small talk, Sasuke was hn-ing, and Sai was doing that weird thing with his face.

The eyes-closed, tight-lipped smile thing.

"Hey, look who it is!" A masculine voice announced, causing the bickering girls and their teammates to begrudgingly look towards it. There stood Team 8, Kiba Inuzuka standing confidently a few feet away from them.

"H-hello.." Said a soft voice behind him, belonging to a familiar girl by the name of Hinata Hyuuga. The third member of their team, Shino Auburame, merely adjusted his glasses.

"Team 8! Wait, that means the whole Rookie 9 is here. C'mon guys, scoot over and let them in." Sakura said, tugging Sai further into the booth. Thankfully, the booth was in a large U-shape, so there was plenty of room.

"...Troublesome." Muttered a tired voice, shifting in his seat.

Sasuke scowled once again, moving over to make room. Choji welcomed Team 8 happily, mowing down on his barbeque while they took their seats.

"Wow, we've only been in our teams for a few days and we're already all meeting each other again." Choji said, between mouthfuls of food.

A waitress quickly compensated for the additional members of their party, by bringing several more plates of well-seasoned beef.

The Hyuuga heiress squirmed uncomfortably in the leather seat, fidgeting with her hands. She didn't say it, but she noted that one particular girl was missing. Naruto Uzumaki, the blonde she'd idolized the entirety of their academy years.

She'd wondered what happened to the boisterous girl.. Maybe.. Maybe once her cousin Neji was promoted, Naruto took his place on Team 9?

She deflated at the thought of her cousin, even more so than at the thought of Naruto, practically shrinking in on herself. He'd been nicer lately… At least..

When Kiba finally mentioned the unseen Uzumaki, Hinata brightened a bit. At least the whiskered girl hadn't been forgotten, Naruto would surely be upset if no one noticed she wasn't here.

"If only Naruto were here. Then the whole gang would be back together again!" Kiba said, before shoving food in his mouth in a very undignified manner. Sakura clicked her tongue, and Ino joined the conversation.

"Hey, whatever happened to her? She didn't get placed on any team." The Yamanaka questioned. "Who?" Asked a curious Sai, who had dropped his ghoulish attempt at a smile.

"They're talking about the academy's infamous Dead-Last." Sasuke added grumpily, reflecting on Naruto's constant pestering. Ino snorted at his rude remark, but stopped when Shikamaru shot her a glare. Shikamaru turned his own grumpy expression toward Sasuke, brown eyes staring at him.

If Sasuke noticed his challenging gaze, he certainly didn't show it.

"Y-you shouldn't talk about Naruto-chan like that.." The Hyuuga heiress said softly, which half of the table seemed to ignore, or not even hear. The Yamanaka heard, however, and periwinkle eyes seemed to dim with guilt.

"Speaking of Naruto, I actually ran into her yesterday." Sakura informed, stirring the pink lemonade she had ordered. "Hn?" Sasuke hummed, vaguely prompting her to go on.

"She was at the library, the Shinobi Library specifically." The pinkette added, getting a smile from the Inuzuka.

"Hey, that means she passed!" Kiba said, his brown eyes seemingly to glow with joy.

He teased Naruto occasionally, but he still considered her a friend, even if they weren't close.

"Awesome!" Choji added, an equally bright smile on his face. Hinata couldn't help but smile herself, she was happy for Naruto. "Tch, how could she have passed without a team?" Sasuke asked, genuinely curious. He was an Uchiha, though, which meant he could never express curiosity towards buffoons like Naruto.

"She has a jounin instructor." Shikamaru threw in, a bored expression on his face.

"R-really?" Hinata asked, pale eyes meeting with coffee colored irises. He nodded, not bothering to elaborate. "Who is it?" Inquired Kiba, who was passing a piece of raw beef to the dog atop his head.

"Dunno. Never seen the lady before." Shikamaru replied, being completely unhelpful.

"Perhaps I could tell you the identity of this woman? During my time in Root, Danzo made us familiar with many of the normal Jounin working in Konoha." Sai supplied, eager to join the conversation.

"Why would you need to know stuff like that?" Sakura asked rudely, quirking a pink brow upwards.

"Many reasons, Ugly. Now then, what did this woman look like?" Sai asked, turning away from a fuming Sakura. Ino was trying, and failing, to suppress her laughter as she tried to hold Sakura away from maiming her teammate.

"Purple hair, brownish eyes, trench coat." The lazy genius explained, not bothering to go into detail. That would just be too troublesome.

"Ah, I believe that would either be Yugao Uzuki or Anko Mitarashi." Sai said, fake smiling once again

"Anko Mitarashi? I've heard that name before, I think my dad's mentioned her.." The blonde Yamanaka mused, tapping her chin with her index finger.

The other members of the group looked curious now, sharing glances with one another.

"That is unsurprising, Gorgeous. She is rather infamous in the T&I department." Sai said, getting a blushing, smiling Ino from the nickname he used.

Internally, he applauded himself. Smiling and blushing were positive results, it seemed his books were helping.

He would remind himself to use nicknames like that for women more often. Then he would certainly make many friends.

"WAIT A MINUTE, WHY IS INO GORGEOUS BUT I'M UGLY? I'LL PUMMEL YOU FOR THAT, JUST WAIT!" The infuriated pinkette screamed, lunging at the dark-haired boy.

Elsewhere in Konoha, a blonde and a purplette sneezed...

Friday morning, Naruto awoke feeling refreshed, and also, kind of horrible. The events of yesterday, her rude behavior towards her sensei, still weighed heavily in her mind.

She'd never been one for apologies, so it would certainly be an awkward experience.

Maybe she should buy her sensei a gift as an apology? Take her out to dango?

That would be perfect, but Naruto knew she wouldn't have time for that today..

"Aha! I'll apologize and take her to dango after we're done today.." The blonde concluded, throwing on her kimono top haphazardly.

She checked her appearance in the mirror, tightening her two pigtails.

"Lookin' snazzy!" She said, pointing finger guns at her reflection. Before walking out the door, she marked off another day on her ramen-themed calendar.

She stepped out into the familiar streets of Konoha, before deciding to put her hours of tree-walking to use. The genin focused her chakra to her feet, with noticeably less difficulty than before, and ran up the side of a building.

Her legs carried her as fast as possible towards her destination, the Hokage's Tower, where she'd meet her sensei. Today she'd be going to the T&I offices, for Kami knows what reason.

Naruto had never considered that she'd be involved with the Torture and Interrogation unit of Konoha's shinobi force, but she wouldn't complain.

As long as she didn't have to do any weird stuff like eye-plucking or graphic, nightmare-inducing torture, she'd be fine.

Or so she thought. When she and her sensei arrived at the large, two-story building, she wasn't expecting to be made into an errand girl.

_KONOHA'S T &I BUILDING:_

She groaned as her sensei passed her another stack of papers. "Take these up to Ibiki Morino, his office is on the second floor. There's a 'One' on the door, it's the biggest office up there. Should be easy to find." The woman said, signing through a few papers of her own.

She lumbered up the steps, ignoring how some of the other T&I shinobi seemed to snicker at her misfortune as she passed them.

It wasn't hard for her to find the office that Anko mentioned, seeing as it was right beside the steps.

Without even bothering to knock, the blonde kicked the door open, nearly knocking it off of it's hinges.

A man sat behind a dark mahogany desk, not even looking the least bit perturbed by the blonde's disturbance. His face had two long scars stretching across it, and a cap that covered his head.

"You're Ibiki Morino, right? My sensei sent me to deliver these." The girl said, dropping the stack of papers on his desk.

"And who are you?" Ibiki inquired, his voice stern and stoic.

"Naruto."

The pair engaged in what looked to be a staring contest to any outsiders. Two round blue eyes stared into sharp black ones.

Naruto supposed she would've been afraid of him she hadn't met her psychotic sensei already. She blinked twice, and she nearly missed a slight, upward twitch in his lips.

"You're Anko Mitarashi's student, eh?" The man asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. Another two blinks. "That's me, 'ttbayo."

"Welcome to T&I. Let's see how long you last, maggot." Said the scarred male, looking down at his newest stack of paperwork.

"Are you challenging me, Morino-san?" Cherubic blue eyes narrowed, taking on a distinctly fox-like appearance. Ibiki knew then that this kid was different. Most would've been frightened by his stare alone, but this kid wasn't.

This girl had spunk.

"I'll show you, old man!" She said, turning on her heel. She didn't bother shutting the door behind her as she rushed back downstairs, and Ibiki felt a slight migraine coming along. Young bloods.. He forgot just how irritating they could be...

"Great. Anko 2.0." He muttered, slamming his office door shut.

The blonde trotted back to the lobby of the T&I building, where her sensei was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a broad shouldered blond man was leaning against the wall.

"Oi! Did you see where my sensei went?" Asked the short blonde. Inoichi looked down at the kid, noticing that she looked about the same age as his own daughter.

He looked around the room, truly wondering where the hell the girl came from.

It dawned on the man that Anko had taken up an apprentice, and a grimace made its way onto his face.

"Did Anko-san drag you out here?" He asked, crouching slightly. "Yup." The girl replied, popping the P.

"Can you tell me where she went?" The girl asked in return, hands resting confidently on her hips. The man gave a dry chuckle, causing the girl to wrinkle her nose in distaste.

She folded her arms, staring up at him.

"Sorry, kid. Anko's busy with something right now, and you can't exactly help her." Inoichi knew Anko was busy with a torture session in the basement right now, and there was no way he'd send some kid down there to witness it. How old was this kid, anyway? 12? 9? 14? Fuck if he knew, but specfics weren't the point.

Especially not when said kid was the same age as his own daughter, who would no doubt be traumatized by Anko's torture sessions.

He hadn't even joined the Intelligence Division as a whole until he was 15, he didn't really approve of a kid her age hanging around T&I.

"Why the hel- heck, why the heck not?" Questioned Naruto, tapping her foot impatiently. Inoichi's eyebrows nearly rose to his hairline, but he schooled his expression quickly.

"Listen, kid-" The younger blonde interrupted, "It's Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki." Pale blue eyes stared at her blankly for a moment.

"...Right, Naruto.. Anko is currently..Extracting information from a prisoner, so you'll just have to wait here." The girl's lips stretched into a thin line, before she huffed loudly.

"Whatever." Naruto relinquished, not wanting to see a torture session anyway.

She was fairly certain she wasn't ready to witness something like that yet. She knew that it would probably be inevitable, after all, shinobi kill and torture daily..

Samurai were the ones with honor, not shinobi.

Her skin crawled at the thought of taking a life with her own two hands. To snuff out someone's very being.. It wasn't a very exciting idea to Naruto, rather, it was slightly disturbing.

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Naruto sighed.

* * *

**_TENTEN'S HOUSE..._ **

* * *

Friday came and went, and Saturday arrived. Naruto hadn't got the chance to apologize yet, but she tried to shove those thoughts away.

She'd apologize soon, certainly.

Naruto opened the door to Tenten's weapons shop, bells jingling as it swung open.

She inhaled deeply, allowing the warming sensation of Tenten's chakra to reach her.

"Hey! Naruto-chan, you came!" Said the double-bun wearing girl, who was currently polishing a display sword across the room. The blonde's face split into a bright smile. "Of course! I would never ditch someone!"

"Good to hear, I was looking forward to this!" Tenten said, replacing the sword on it's mount. Naruto looked down at the cobblestone floor for a moment, smiling softly.

That was new. People had never really looked forward to Naruto's presence. If anything, people loathed her existence.

"So, have you figured out your weapon yet?" Tenten asked, a soft expression painted on her face.

"Oh, yeah! I figured out how to use the basic functions of this thing pretty easily! That book you gave me helped a lot." Naruto said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Cool, follow me. We can spar in my backyard." Said Tenten, gesturing to a door by the check-out counter. The brunette girl opened the dark oak door, stepping into a winding hallway. She removed the apron she wore, hanging it up on a coat rack next to two others.

Naruto followed behind her, blue eyes studying her surroundings. "Dad! Naruto and I are gonna spar, the shop's yours for the rest of the evening!" Tenten shouted, hoping her dad overheard.

A brown-haired man peeked around the corner at the end of the hallway, before giving a thumbs up.

Tenten lead Naruto to a sliding glass door, leading to a backyard fenced in by bamboo sticks. Naruto's eyes took in the scenery, noticing how nice this house was in comparison to her apartment. The house was traditionally designed, despite the weapon's shop occupying the front of the house.

Naruto assumed that Tenten's family must be rather well-off to afford a place like this. Lush gardens occupied the perimeter of the fences, clearly well-maintenanced.

Tenten stepped off of her porch, and into the vibrant grass.

"C'mon!" The girl said, snapping the blonde out of her staring.

Naruto followed behind Tenten quickly, and pulled her weapon's scroll off of it's place on her leg garters.

She unraveled it quickly, causing her enormous meteor hammer to fall out onto the ground. The girl picked it up by it's thick handle, spinning it in her hand for a moment.

She was internally grateful she'd spent most of her pre-genin days doing strength training, otherwise she might have never been able to lift such a bulky weapon.

The brunette smiled, whistling at the sight. "You already swing that thing around like a natural!" She remarked, eyeing the spikes.

The chocolate-eyed girl reached into the weapons pouch on her hip, pulling out a scroll of her own. Naruto took up a defensive stance, a combination of her basic Hebi-style defense position and a ready-stance that she had seen in her book. It was by no means good, but it would work.

Tenten unwinded her scroll, causing a tandem of kunai to fire out, directly towards Naruto. The blonde swung her weapon in a panic, spinning it in a wide circle.

She deflected the kunai, knocking them away from her.

She launched herself forward, and Tenten pulled out yet another scroll. Naruto gripped her weapon tight, aiming to strike the brunette with the large iron spike-ball.

Before the deadly spikes could impact with the weapon's specialist, Tenten had pulled a broadsword from her scroll.

The blade of the sword met with the iron meteor hammer, causing brilliant sparks of friction to fly in every direction. The taller girl ducked down, abandoning her sword. Naruto nearly fell forward because of Tenten's sudden drop. Anko's words rang in her head, _balance and fluidity._

She would definitely need more lessons in that aspect..

The silver sword dropped to the ground next to Tenten, who quickly grabbed it again.

Naruto leapt away, attempting to put distance between her and Tenten.

This proved to be futile, and the brunette rushed forward with her sword extended.

Tenten rushed forward, Naruto was nearly backed against the bamboo fencing. The blonded muttered a few curse words, and Tenten swung her blade at Naruto just as the expletives left her lips.

The blonde barely managed to duck below the blade, blue eyes watching as it swung right where her neck would've been. She gulped, and Tenten kept up her assault.

The brunette changed forms quickly, aiming to strike down upon Naruto.

The world seemed to go into slow motion as Naruto lost her footing, having still not mastered the art called _balance._ Just as the blonde dropped into the flowerbed, she straightened the chain of her meteor hammer. Two hands held firmly near each end, one holding the edge of the chain and the other gripping the handle. It was a last minute block, but served its purpose.

Each girl furiously pushed their upper-body strength to its limits, Tenten aiming to strike, and Naruto holding up her defense. Naruto's quick-thinking spontaneously kicked in, and the blonde stopped gritting her teeth to smirk victoriously.

With one leg firmly planted in the dirt, she lifted her right leg and kicked Tenten as hard as she could, directly in the abdomen.

Tenten made an, "Oomph!" sound as she was knocked back by a few feet, giving Naruto just enough time and space to straighten herself and stand up.

"When are you gonna switch it up?" Tenten asked, sucking in deep breaths. She wiped the sweat from her brow and righted her posture.

"Whaddya mean?" Naruto asked, twirling her hefty weapon overhead.

The brunette girl stared at her blankly for a moment.

Blue eyes met with warm brown eyes, and Tenten finally broke the short spell of silence.

"...Your weapon.. It's.." She pinched the bridge of her nose, still smiling despite her exasperated gesture. "It's made of chakra-conducting metal for a reason. If you push enough chakra into the weapon, you can shift it into one of four forms."

Naruto eyes filled with twinkling stars. "No way!" The blonde said, looking at her weapon in genuine disbelief.

"Yes way! I told you it was a super special weapon, didn't I? My dad traded a pretty big supply of kunai and shuriken for special weapons like these, all the way over in Takumi no Sato." Tenten said, a look of pride on her face.

"Where's Takumi?" Naruto asked, tilting her head to the side like a confused puppy. The bun-headed girl giggled lightheartedly, as she sealed away her sword again.

"Oh, it's also called the Village of Artisans. It's in the Land of Rivers, I'm not surprised you've never heard of it. They make some really spectacular weapons over there." The taller girl explained.

Naruto began picking up Tenten's kunai, which were strewn across her yard.

"Wait, if they're so spectacular, why was that one so.. Affordable?" The blonde questioned, passing the kunai she'd gathered to her sparring partner.

The brunette took the sharp weapons, resealing them before she replied.

"Because, not only is it a super uncommon weapon, it's also attuned to wind chakra, which is practically nonexistent in Konoha. I believe that weapon was originally designed as a custom for someone, but the customer never came through. So that's why my dad ended up with it later on." Tenten explained, subtly enjoying the fact that she could explain weaponry to a dedicated listener.

Naruto picked up her own weapon, and Tenten watched her with slight anticipation.

"It takes a lot of chakra to change a weapon's form, so don't be to upset of you ca-"

Her jaw snapped shut when the weapon began to glow a soft golden hue, as Naruto pushed her chakra into it.

First, it shifted into a real meteor hammer. With two hefty spiked balls connected by a thick chain, it looked every bit as dangerous as it had before.

Forcing more chakra out, she made a rather minor change from the original this time. The staff shortened, and a section transformed into a single-headed meteor hammer.

Meaning, it was a spiked-ball attached to a chain, but with a larger handle rather than a chain. Naruto would compare it more so to a spiked club.

Naruto recalled that this kind of weapon was also referred to as a mace, and that it was essentially known for the same purpose as a regular meteor hammer or morning star.. Damage through puncturing, and blunt force at the same time.

The girl fought the urge to grimace at the thought of how brutal her weapon could be.

She pushed more chakra into the weapon, and the metal began to glow and re-shape once more.

Tenten's jaw fell open when it was once again altered, into its last form.

After forcing her weapon through 3 forms, she finally was feeling a drain from using a surplus of chakra. To change her weapon three or four times, it would be completely exhausting in actual combat. At least at her current skill level...

Naruto disregarded those thoughts as her weapon finished it's transformation.

It was nearly all chain, besides one large spike at the end, and a handle on the other side. However, one end of the chain had what looked like hooks, presumably for grappling opponents.

"That.. Is.. So cool!" Tenten said, rushing over to get a closer look.

She delicately ran her fingers across the iron chain, being especially careful as she caressed the razor-sharp hooks.

"This is a chain whip, right?" Naruto asked, despite knowing the answer.

"Yep! This is a super unique one, too. This weapon really is something else." The brunette remarked.

The two girls pulled their attention away from the chain whip when they heard a noise by the door. The blonde quickly sealed away her weapon, tucking the scroll back into it's place. Looking over, Naruto saw a chubby woman who looked far older than Tenten's father. With dark hazelnut colored hair streaked with gray and rosy cheeks, she looked like the perfect image of a friendly grandma.

"Ten-chan, dear! Bring your friend over here, you ladies can't do all that ninja stuff on an empty stomach!" The woman called, beckoning over the girls.

The brunette girl looked vaguely embarrassed, a light pink dust on her cheeks. "Y-yes, oba-san." She replied obediently, taking Naruto's hand to lead her over.

If she hadn't, Naruto probably would've frozen in place.

Naruto had never stayed at a friend's house, or met a friend's parents. Or grandparents, rather. And although the girl had spent years daydreaming of making wonderful friends, she'd never imagined their family's treating her so kindly.

Had Naruto ever even had real friends? Or simply school acquaintances?

But here she was, in the real world, at a friends house. A friend whom she'd just sparred with, but held no ill-will towards her like everyone else did after spars.

Here she was, at a friends house, watching her be cooed over by her kind-hearted grandmother.

And here she was… Also being cooed over by said grandmother?

"Oh dear, just look at you!" The elderly woman said, pinching Naruto's whiskered cheek.

Tenten looked positively humiliated, "Oba-san! S-stop babying my friend!" She croaked out, trying to pull Naruto away. The blonde blinked owlishly at the entire situation, partially taken aback by what was currently occurring.

"Just look at this little thing! My, you're one of the cutest little things I've seen in all my days!" The older woman said, pinching Naruto's other cheek now.

The allegedly cute little thing was currently lamenting the pain in her poor, poor face, squinting her eyes shut. "If you keep this up, Naruto won't ever come back here! Seriously!" Tenten pleaded, as if Naruto somehow couldn't hear her.

The older woman released Naruto then and there, harrumphing childishly.

"Fine, fine. I brought you and Naru-chan here some onigiri and lemonade for lunch. Have fun now.~" Said the chubby woman, before she gave the young kunoichi polite smiles. She waved as she went back inside, leaving an utterly confused Naruto and an embarrassed Tenten.

The blushing, bun-headed girl took a seat on a red tatami mat, beside the tray her grandmother brought. Naruto hesitantly took a seat across from her, and took a sip of her lemonade.

Tenten glanced up at her friend, noticing the pink marks on the skin of her cheeks.

"Sorry, my grandma can be a bit much. Next Saturday we're totally going to your place after we finish sparring." The girl brunette said, shooting a heated glare at the door.

Naruto snorted, rubbing her cheeks softly.

The brunette took a bite of her onigiri, and Naruto dug into her portion

"I don't think you'd like my apartment all that much." The blonde remarked, rice in her mouth.

Tenten tittered at her unladylike behavior, not really caring. In fact, Tenten thought Naruto's tomboyish behavior was a bit refreshing. She hadn't met any other kunoichi who were even similar to herself, so she couldn't help but smile.

"I'm sure it's fine. Do you.. Live by yourself?" Tenten asked, knowing that her teammate Rock Lee had his own apartment because he was an orphan.

Naruto rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, nodding.

"I'm sorry, that's probably tough on you, Naru-chan." The weapon's mistress empathised with Naruto, despite not knowing what such a life would be like.

Tenten's mother had passed, though, so she at least knew what it was like to have one missing parent.

Naruto smiled brightly at the nickname, feeling a warmth flood her own chest.

"Don't worry about it! You know, since you're calling me Naru, I get to come up with a nickname for you, 'ttebayo!" Declared the blonde, still grinning.

The brunette, double-bun wearing girl chuckled.

"Fine, just don't call me Ten-chan like my grandma does, it's too embarrassing." Tenten replied playfully, finishing the last of her onigiri.

Naruto wrinkled her nose and tapped her chin, "Well, this calls for some creativity!"

The blonde had never actually given someone a nickname before.

At least not a polite one..

Well, there was Shikamaru, but she rarely ever used his. She only called him Shika when she was trying to get under his skin.

Which, never seemed to work…. He'd need a new nickname, too, but that was a thought for later.

She studied Tenten, looking for an appropriate feature to name her after. Her eyes landed on her hair, and she snapped her fingers. "Aha! I've got it!" The blonde said, applauding herself internally.

"Okaaay?" Tenten replied, gesturing for her to continue.

"I'm gonna call you Bunny-chan!" The shorter girl replied, practically beaming. The newly dubbed Bunny-chan sputtered, tripping over her words.

"That's even worse than Ten-chan!" She shouted indignantly, folding her arms. She pursed her lips, attempting to force down a smile. She'd never admit that she actually thought the nickname was quite sweet.

She almost thought the entire day was too good to be true. She'd made her first like minded friend, who also liked cool weaponry, and loved sparring as much as she did. Who also happened to be a girl, as a bonus. And, she had the cutest nickname in existence to show for it.

"Pfft, it's too late to take back now! Blame it on your hair, not me,!" The blonde replied, shrugging nonchalantly.

Tenten turned her head to hide the smile blooming on her face, rolling her eyes.

She already knew that her and Naruto would soon be attached at the hip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another chapter finally edited.. I'm not super excited to edit the next ones, considering how long they are. Oh, to have a beta-reader...
> 
> I jest, I jest!  
> Anywhoo!
> 
> Song this chapter: 'Steady As She Goes,' by The Raconteurs.
> 
> Thank you for reading, much love, and reviews are always appreciated!~


	5. Chapter Five: Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto meets Tenten's team, discovers something which really sours her mood, and continues on her schedule, bonding with her sensei and trudging on.

"... _ **You know she'll drive you crazy,**_

_**Yeah she's coming for ya.** _

_**No, she don't mess around,** _

_**No, she don't mess around**_.."

* * *

A week of Naruto's life passed by, full of training, fun, and hard work. She'd practiced her Katas, worked on her weaponry skills, and witnessed her first interrogation.  
All in all, it had been a rather fruitful week. The young blonde had continued to procrastinate apologizing to her sensei, hesitant to raise the subject.

Anko had pretended the entire thing never happened, which made it all the more difficult for Naruto to talk about it.

The blonde looked down at her feet, leisurely walking towards the training ground she'd agreed to meet Tenten at. It was Saturday once again, she'd met with Tenten for spars twice before now. The brunette was truly fun to be around, and today they would finally be hanging out at Naruto's apartment after sparring.

The dirt-pathways of her village weren't something of interest, so she opted to gaze up at the peach, periwinkle and tangerine colored skyline. Fluffy, painted clouds scattered across the beautiful view, making Naruto's love for Konoha solidify even further.

Her lips took a slight curl at the beauty of the sky alone. She sighed softly, activating her sensory ability.

Two blue eyes closed softly, enabling Naruto to see the chakra forms of those around her. It was nearly dizzying, even though she'd been using the ability fairly regularly. It seemed it would be a long time before she'd get used to her bloodline ability.

Her mind's eye drifted away from unfamiliar signatures, before she sensed something unmistakably warm.  
Tenten, she could sense Tenten. And unfortunately, it seemed she had others with her. It was hard to get a good read on them from this distance, but she could have a slight idea of them.

One of them was unlike the others, it felt frigid and lonesome.

Like a December night, whereas Tenten was a summer morning or spring evening.. And the other two? They were fairly spring-like themselves, though they felt more like the early dawn.

One of these figures was clearly an adult, while the others were teens like her and Tenten.

' _It must be her genin team._ ' Naruto deduced, feeling an unfamiliar sensation of anxiety bubble up within her. Shaking her head, she tried to send the feelings flying away. She opened her eyes, patted her cheeks, and prepared herself to meet Tenten's team.

"Just be polite, Naruto." She mumbled to herself as a reminder. Something old Naruto would've never had to tell herself, she mused. The girl approached the opening to the training ground, which was essentially just a clearing outside of some lush forests.

Lush, harmless forests, matter of fact. Much different from the training ground she and her sensei used.

"You came!" The bright voice of Tenten chirped, causing Naruto to smile. "Of course I did, 'ttebayo!"

The brown-haired kunoichi rushed over to her, wrapping her in a hug. Internally, the shorter girl came to the realization that Tenten must've got her physically-affectionate personality from her grandmother. "You're late, you know!" The older girl informed, giving her a fake glare.

"Sorry." Naruto replied, her hand resting on the nape of her neck.

"Ah, so you must be the young Naruto my dear student mentions! A pleasure to meet you! You may call me Gai!" A tall, ridiculous looking man said, giving her a thumbs-up.

Naruto grimaced, noticing this was one of the bright silhouette's she had sensed earlier. His black bowl-cut shined with gel, which was holding his hair down in a perfect dome.

The man's eyebrows were as thick as the academy textbooks, which was saying something. The most disturbing facet of his appearance was the atrocious, form-fitting green unitard.

Naruto could get behind the orange leg and wrist warmers. But with a forest green unitard? No way in hell. Her naturally rosy skin noticeably paled, when another, younger version of Gai appeared at her feet.  
The younger male took her hand, still on his knees. This younger version of Gai had the roundest eyes she'd ever seen, the irises an onyx color.

"So you are the beautiful, most-youthful kunoichi that Tenten-chan talks about! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, I am the one and only Rock Lee!"

He took her hand, and Naruto turned an unhealthy shade of white. Matter of fact, she seemed to have broken into a cold-sweat.  
The horror of it all had taken its toll on her, and if this boy dared to do anything more than touch her hand, she might go into fight or flight mode.

And Naruto had _always_ been a fighter.

"Lee, must you always act a fool in front of strangers?" Asked a much more normal looking male, whom had just joined them. This boy had milky skin, and the pale eyes belonging to the Hyuuga clan. His long, cedar-brown hair was held back in a very low ponytail.

He had features befitting royalty, which stood out amongst his team. (Though, her amazing friend Tenten was a beauty in her own right, in Naruto's opinion.) It was easy for both of them to stand out when next to those two _hideous_ dopplegangers.

"I agree with Neji-kun, I think Naru's gonna start foaming at the mouth if you don't back away." Tenten said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.  
If she was deathly embarrassed by her teammates behavior, she wasn't showing it.

Mostly because she didn't want to embarrass herself further by whining about Lee creeping out her only female friend. Lee shot back onto his feet, stepping away from the blonde, pig-tailed girl.

She seemed to re-enter reality at that moment, taking extra steps to put more distance between herself and the Green Beasts of Konoha.

"...Right, so.. I'm Naruto. Nice to meet you, I guess." She said, one of her eyes twitching slightly.

The Hyuuga boy's face remained impassive, giving a slight nod of his head. "I am Hyuuga Neji." He replied stiffly, his hands clasped in front of him.

Naruto assumed that it was befitting for a Hyuuga to introduce themselves so formally. Or maybe, the other two had such outlandish, lively, and repulsive introductions that she'd forgotten what a normal one was like.

Gai let out a good-natured, loud chuckle, "Perhaps we should go for more traditional methods of getting to know each other! Sit, everyone, we shall exchange introductions, to better know each other on a fundamental level!" Gai said, his teeth sparkling as he smiled. "Is this truly a necessity?" The previously impassive boy, Neji, had a disgruntled look on his face now.

"Neji, you should not question the word of Gai-sensei! He would never lead us astray!" The bushy-browed boy declared, pulling a notepad and pen out of thin air.

The boy dropped to the grass immediately, sitting cross-legged in front of the odd jounin.

Begrudgingly, the remaining three students followed suit. Tenten was seated right beside Lee, while Naruto was between her and Neji.

Naruto could've sworn Neji was stealing sidelong glances at her, but she truly couldn't tell. After all, the boy had no definitive pupil. His ethereal eyes were all the same shade of vaguely purple-tinted white, asides from the darkened ring defining his sclera from his iris.

She turned her gaze to Tenten, who was seated to her left. The girl's hair had mauve ribbons tied around the caramel-colored buns of hair on each side of her head.

Her friend's lips were in a slant, an expression of neutrality, which carefully hid the girl's feelings of embarrassment and irritation, as well as slight joy.

Naruto looked towards the jounin, who had begun to speak. "I will start! My name is Maito Gai, and I am a taijutsu specialist and summoner of the turtles! I enjoy training and friendly rivalry, along with teaching the youth of Konoha! My favorite food is spicy curry, as it truly flames the fire of my youth." The man finished, closing his eyes in satisfaction.

Lee raised his hand high, "I will go next, my name is Rock Lee! I am also a taijutsu specialist, and a genius of hard-work! I love training, fighting, and pushing my limits, and I enjoy spending time with my team! My favorite food would have to be medium-spicy curry pilaf!" He finished, grinning brightly.

His teeth were shiny enough to blind someone, quite frankly.

Tenten sighed, and went next. "I'm Tenten, as you all know. I'm a weapon's mistress, who loves weapons, training, paranormal stuff, and.. Did I say weapons yet? I love sesame dumplings and chinese buns, but I despise pickled plums." She finished and pursed her lips, clearly reflecting on her hatred of those sour fruits.

Knowing she was next in line, Naruto spoke up. "My turn, then. I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I'm a sensor nin, who also has a love for weapons. I love my friends, my sensei, sparring, Ichiraku ramen, and my plants back at home. Oh, and I used to love prankin' people, but I'm too busy for any of that nowadays…" She finished lamely, smiling to herself.

"Woah, you're a sensor?" Tenten asked, her lips parted in disbelief. "Er, yeah. I have some Uzumaki bloodline ability." The blonde explained vaguely.  
She had everyone's full attention at this point, for one reason or another, all relating to her status as a sensor.

"I have heard of the Uzumaki clan's legendary sensors, I did not know that there was one with this bloodline in Konoha." Gai remarked, tapping his chin.

Naruto was practically beaming, she'd thought that no one in Konoha knew of her supposedly lost clan. She smiled at him, giving a passionate nod.

"Uzumaki clan?" Neji repeated, eyebrows knitted downwards in a clear show of displeasure.

"Yes. A nearly extinct clan, aside from Young Naruto apparently. May I ask what your bloodline ability entails?" The man asked.

Tenten was smiling softly, but still completely surprised.

"Er, yeah. It's called Mind's Eye of Kagura, but I've got some special enhanced version of it. I can sense emotions at all times if I don't suppress it, but, if I close my eyes and focus.. Well, It's like I can see the chakra within the human body, using my Mind's Eye. They all look similar, just shaped differently with different feelings attached to them. I can sense every major thing in about a 10 mile radius, but it gets sorta painful if I do. And I can only get a good read on them if they're less than 2 miles away..." Naruto tried to explain, internally lamenting her poor description of the bloodline.

Truthfully, she still needed to do a lot of exploring with her bloodline. She had no idea of all of it's true capabilities yet, unfortunately.

She'd tried the Shinobi library but.. There weren't any books about it, or even the Uzumaki clan itself. Soon, she'd have to ask the Old Man more about it.

"That sounds very similar to Neji's byakugan!" Lee interjected, tilting his head slightly to the side.

Neji scowled, "I have never heard of a dojutsu comparable to the byakugan." The blonde frowned slightly.

"Cuz it's not a dojutsu." Naruto replied dryly, scrunching her nose in mild agitation. Things weren't off to a great tart with this fella, that was certain.

Gai, sensing the possible conflict about to occur, decided to change the subject.

"Moving along! Young Neji, it's your turn!" Gai said, retaking his goofier persona.

It was a stark contrast in comparison to how his expression changed when Naruto mentioned her bloodline trait.

The teen's face seemed to get even more irritated, which resulted in an expression only comparable to the trademarked Uchiha Scowl.

"I am Neji Hyuuga. I specialize in the Hyuuga clan techniques, which means I utilize my byakugan in taijutsu centric close combat. I enjoy herring soba and meditation." He said curtly, as if the entire situation had been a debacle, or just a total waste of his time.

Frankly, Naruto wasn't sure if she'd like this boy. Arrogance was something she despised. It just made her glad she hadn't been teamed with someone like him. Kami forbid if Naruto had been teamed with Sasuke..

The blonde bristled at the thought alone.

She was very happy with just having a sensei, thank you very much.

"Naruto-chan, would you care to engage me in a spar? It is my dream to prove that hard work trumps natural-born skill, like the ability you were born with."

"Lee means no offense, Naru." Tenten interrupted, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. She expected Naruto to be angry at her teammate, but the girl just smiled.

"Ha! Natural skill? Not me, dude. I've worked my ass off to get where I am, and my bloodline doesn't give me any combat skills." Naruto informed, her hands clasped behind her head.

Nearby, Neji felt a slight sense of comfort that this new girl couldn't compete with his byakugan, even if he didn't understand her ability. The smugness was carefully hidden behind his stoic mask, however.

Lee brightened at the blonde's explanation,"So you are a fellow genius of hard work, and you are beautiful? How youthful! Would you be interested in sparring regardless?" He asked, complimenting her not-so-subtly.

Naruto blinked twice, owlishly. Sure wasn't sure whether to recoil in shock at the double-compliment, or to be overjoyed at the prospect of another sparring partner.

What would Anko say…?

…. Probably something sadistic, over-confident, and full of curse words. Hmm..  
Naruto shook her head like a dog, returning to reality.

"Sure, but don't think that you can go easy on me just cuz I'm pretty!" She spat, assuming the basic stance for the Hebi style.

Lee simply smiled, and Tenten stared with partial dismay. Gai and Neji were also watching from the sidelines, one which with the best look of disinterest he could fake..

"If I do not defeat you, I will do 500 laps around the village the moment I wake tomorrow morning!" He bet, taking his own stance.

"Oh yeah? Well if I lose, I'll do 700." She said, not even considering the consequences of her actions. "It is on!"

"Hell yeah!" Naruto replied, raising her fist.

Lee stared for a moment, before returning the fist bump, with a smile that nearly tore his face in half. "What a tremendous show of youth!" Gai cheered, tears of joy streaming from his eyes comically.

Launching himself forward, Lee prepared to punch the blonde.

Throwing herself to the side, Naruto ducked and evaded each of his coming blows. For every fist Naruto threw, Lee blocked.

In some bizarre twist of fate, the match ended in a draw.. Sunday morning, the two genin would be running a total of 1,200 laps around the entirety of Konoha...

* * *

Naruto led Tenten through the streets of Konoha, towards her apartment complex. "This is gonna be so fun!" The brunette said cheerfully.

Naruto turned around to face her friend, walking backwards.

"Definitely, 'ttbayo!" The blonde jinchuriki had cleaned her apartment as best she could this morning, in anticipation of Tenten's visit. She'd even hung up two more posters to cover the areas where her aged wallpaper was peeling. Naruto even bought snacks other than ramen!

She was fully prepared!

* * *

**_Naruto's Apartment Comple_ _x..._ **

* * *

As they reached the apartment complex, Naruto threw open the main-floor door, Tenten shutting it behind them. The building was slightly rickety looking, with the outside painted in odd colors with round roofing.

"I've never had a sleepover before!" Tenten said, her doe-like eyes twinkling with excitement. She had a sealing scroll on her back, containing a bookbag full of the things she'd need for a night at her friend's.

"Me neither, Bunny!" Naruto said, walking up the steps to her particular apartment. The steps led up to the second floor, which was nearly vacant, aside from Naruto.

People didn't exactly want to be neighbors with a jinchuriki, even if the apartments were cheap. The scuffed, cedarwood flooring creaked slightly as the girls stepped onto the second floor-level.

Tenten studied the surroundings, noticing the lack of people. "Say, Naru-chan. Do you think your complex has any ~ghosts~ in it?" She asked, partially teasing, and partially curious.

The brunette wasn't kidding when she mentioned her interest in the paranormal earlier, Tenten had always believed in ghosts, fortune-telling, and the like.

Naruto returned to a shade of pale belonging only to the undead, a comical grimace on her face. "G-ghosts?!" The blonde repeated, blue eyes widened into saucers.

The taller girl snickered, covering her mouth with her hand.

"I was just messing with you." Tenten explained, ignoring Naruto's harrumphing.

Naruto huffed like a child, "That was just mean, Bunny-chan."

As the pair stepped into the apartment, Tenten immediately took off her sandals, as did Naruto. The blonde grabbed a sharpie from the pouch on her hip, looking up at a ramen-themed calendar on her wall. She'd marked off nearly two weeks already, counting down the chuunin exams.

She had four months and one week, and one day until the Chuunin exams arrival in Konoha, which meant four months and one week to get stronger.

"Naru, can I make some tea?" Tenten asked, walking into her kitchenette. "'Course!" Naruto replied.

When the girls had their tea, they gossiped and chatted for hours.

The evening went on with lots of laughter, play-fighting, and secret telling. Before long, they got on one particular topic. "Say, Naru, what do you normally do for fun?" Tenten asked.

"Um, lots of stuff, I guess." she replied, twirling a kunai around her finger. The brunette didn't bother questioning where it had come from. "Today you mentioned pranks. I've never actually pulled a prank on someone." Tenten admitted, like it was some sort of great sin.

Which, in the religion of Naruto Uzumaki, it was.

Naruto, sensing where this was going, broke into a cheshire grin. "Ara, Bunny-chan. Are you telling me you want to pull a prank on someone?!" The blonde asked with wide eyes.

Tenten snorted, "It's like, 9 pm. We couldn't if we wanted to."

Blue eyes stared at her incredulously.

"There's no such thing as bedtime at my place, Bunny. C'mon, admit it, you wanna prank someone." Naruto egged her on, and Tenten fought off a smile.

"Of course not, it would be immature for a shinobi to prank someone!" The girl reasoned, wagging her finger chidingly.

Untying the hitai-ate on her neck, Naruto tossed it aside.

"Hm, but I don't see any village headband on me." Naruto said, tapping her chin.

"Because you- Oh.." The brown eyed girl halted mid sentence. "You know you want tooo.~" Said the blonde in a sing-song voice, waggling her yellow eyebrows.

Naruto cheered when her friend took off her hitai-ate, but still looked rather conflicted.

"Okay, but who?" Asked the brunette.

"Ah, my innocent little friend, we can get whoever the hell we want! I'm a prank-master, dattebayo! I say we strike the Jounin Committee building." Naruto said deviously.

Both girls knew of the building Naruto was referring to.

It was the one place where only Tokubetsu Jounin and Jounin were allowed, a meeting place.(More like a lounge, actually.) None of the lower level nin ever went in, due to the level of the ninja in the place. No one chuunin or genin would just encroach upon jounin territory.

However, a young Naruto had ventured into the building many times.

Seriously, did people really think that those groups of shinobi covered in paint were chasing her for fun? Nope, she'd pranked the jounin committee several times.

But it had been so long, they'd never expect it this time!

"Naruto, the jounin?! There's no way. We'd get caught! Do you actually think they'd fall for some silly traps anyway?!" Tenten questioned.

"Don't be such a goody-two shoes! I swear I've got 'em dozens of times. They never expect to get caught by some 'silly traps', so they do!" Naruto declared, waving her arms to emphasise her point.

The girls stared at each other for a moment, but eventually, one girl gave in.

Tenten sucked in a deep breath, and relented.

"Fine, but you've gotta use your sensory ability to keep look out, AND! I'm wearing a henge the whole time." Tenten said, a dangerous smile on her face.

"Oh yeah! We are so evil! C'mon, we gotta gather our materials!"

Naruto ran to her closet, and Tenten followed behind. Pulling out a cardboard box, the two girls gave each other a glance of pure seriousness.

The box, labelled Pranking Supplies, was full of everything two devilish young girls would need.

Dyes, super glue, ninja-wire, plastic wrap, a comically large wrench, thumb-tacks, powder dyes, blunt kunai, whoopee cushions..

Lady luck would not be on the jounin's side this particular night.

The girls, with Tenten's bag full of pranking material, snuck out of Naruto's apartment with purpose.

Both of them had gauze covering the lower halves of their face. This was unnecessary for Tenten, who was currently transformed into one of the chuunin guards.

What was the man's name again? Kotatzu? Katitsu? Tenten was unsure.

Naruto, with her eyes closed, examined the Jounin Committee building they were standing outside of. "It's empty." She whispered.

"You're sure?" The disguised Tenten asked, looking down at her partner in crime.

"Yup, let's go." She walked forward, but was stopped by the other girl. "Hold it, transform or somethin!" Tenten urged, causing the blonde to roll her eyes.

Having seen the chuunin guard pair several times, Naruto used a henge to turn into Tenten's counterpart.

Izuma? Izumo? What was his name again?

With Tenten thoroughly pleased with Naruto's transformation, the girl's approached the door into the building. Tenten, poking a hand into her illusion, pulled a bobby pin from what looked like her skull.

In reality, it was from one of her hidden buns, but no one needed to know that.

Naruto began imagining a dramatic, action movie soundtrack playing as she accepted the bobby pin.

She began picking the lock, which came undone rather quickly, with a loud click.

Above the basic lock, there was a deadbolt, which nearly made her snicker.

She jammed the bobby pin in, moving her wrist furiously, until it clicked. Then she had to unlock another deadbolt..

Then another.. And another..

There were six total deadbolt locks. Pushing the door open, a small chain prevented it from swinging open. With a padlock danging in the middle of it.

How did they even manage to lock that from outside?! And what the hell kinda purpose did a padlock serve right there?! She reached her hand under the chain, undoing the lock. Finally, the door came upon. A sensor seal caused the light to flicker on, making Tenten nearly leap out of her skin.

Which didn't even look like her skin at the moment. Naruto's eyes closed yet again.

"We're still good. C'mon Tenten, we need to get in and out." Tenten gave a serious nod, and they began enacting their plan with the seriousness of two burglars performing the world's greatest robbery.

The girls, disguised as Kotetsu and Izumo, didn't even notice that there was a surveillance camera in the main room when they began. They started with subtle changes. Putting plastic wrap around door frames, on toilets..

Speaking of toilets, they'd used the handy-dandy wrench to ensure that absolutely none of them were functional. Along with every single sink in the building, which would blast you with water if you even tried to turn them on. Also in the bathrooms, Naruto had scribbled on every mirror with a permanent marker, which would add silly features to whoever looked in them.

Mustaches, glasses, crowns, the like.

But it didn't end there. They rigged the front and back entrance to the building with ninja wire, which would fire blunted kunai from every direction. Before finally, a pile of powder dye would drop from the sky.

They had also rigged a trap to the refrigerator in the building's kitchenette, which would blast the opener with colored powder. As Naruto snuck thumbtacks into every chair, bench, or couch in the entire building, Tenten unscrewed every salt 'n pepper shaker just slightly, and switched entire drawers with one another.

Why? Because if someone attempted to use the salt or pepper, it would dump all over their lunch. And as for the drawers? Well, that was just for added confusion. She even rigged one to launch a very-not-blunted kunai when opened.

Placing a variety of innocuous whoopie cushions, which were glued to the seat which they sat in, Naruto finished her part of the plan.

Her fellow prankster, or even her co-conspirator entered the mainroom, and they shared a determined nod.

Naruto and Tenten combined their efforts, with the ultimate part of their prank. The piece of resistance, so to speak.

In every individual office, one belonging to the Jounin Commander, one to the head of the Science Division, one belonging to the head of the Intelligence Division, and one belonging to the head of the hospital the furniture was superglued to the ceiling.

Sharing a victorious high-five, the girls left the building, relocking the doors behind them.

The building, which was more comparable to a lounge space for the Jounin, would now be a hellscape, full of juvenile traps.

When the girl's returned to the apartment, they released their henges, and made an unspoken vow to never speak of their heinous crime ever, ever again.

Because if they did, many, many jounin would be after their pretty little heads.

That next morning, the girls awoked refreshed, practically having forgotten their treasonous act. Instead, Naruto was griping about the horrendous bet she'd made with Lee.

And Konoha's jounin? Well, they were having one hell of a morning.

* * *

**_IN FRONT OF KONOHA'S MAIN GATE._ **

* * *

Tenten and Naruto arrived at the designated meeting place rather early, but were generally unsurprised when Lee and Gai were already there.

"Let us begin our warm-up, Naruto-chan!" Lee declared to which Naruto groaned in agreement.

Tenten hadn't let her sleep in long enough, and despite the fact that Tenten had cooked breakfast, she still hadn't forgiven the brunette. The blonde girl and black-haired boy began with stretches, then push-ups, then jumping jacks, then repeated the cycle.

It was a good thing that Naruto was a complete stamina freak, because otherwise, she probably wouldn't have even been able to keep up with his warm-up.

Soon, Neji arrived, and everyone was utterly shocked. "I am simply curious." He spat, glaring off at the horizon. No one had the time to question him, when a horde of angry jounin appeared out of thin air, running in their direction.

Naruto and Tenten gulped simultaneously. Neji was the only one who noticed as the girls subtly hid behind whoever was closest. Naruto hid behind Lee and Neji, while Tenten stood behind Guy.

"IZUMMOOOOO!" An angry voice shouted, belonging to one man with a cigarette between his lips. Everyone recognized him as Asuma Sarutobi, even Naruto. He had a large nick across his face, which Naruto knew belonged to a certain kunai trap set by Tenten..

"KOTETSUUUUU!" Another angry voice screamed, belonging to Yamanaka Inoichi.

Naruto hadn't seen the man look so terrifying. Behind him, she saw Shikaku Nara, Jounin commander, along with Chouza Akimichi, who was covered in blue paint, and many others. Chouza looked like the only one mildly amused by the entire situation, while the newly purple-haired Inoichi looked outraged. Shikaku, who was soaked, looked mildly agitated. One man, who looked to be a Hyuuga, had a choppy haircut.

Presumably, from the blunted kunai traps.

Naruto was downright confused by the screaming jounin, until she saw who they yanked from the guard booths.

Oh, right. They'd used a henge to transform into those poor guys.

Welp, Kami rest their souls, because there was no way Naruto or Tenten would fess up now. They'd be sure to pay their respects at the funerals.

The pleading voices of the two chuunin would probably haunt the two forever as the framed chuunin were surrounded by jounin.

Without further hesitation, Naruto took her chance to inconspicuously run for it. Literally.

"C'mon Lee, let's go!" She shouted, taking off in a sprint. Tenten had also begun sprinting like a maniac on drugs, except in the opposite direction, towards her house.

Yet again, Neji had been the only one to notice. Using his prodigious brain, the young Hyuuga came to a conclusion. One that, for some reason, he would never share.

He wouldn't rat out the real culprits of the crime against the Jounin, for reasons unknown.

It certainly wasn't because he found the entire situation very amusing. No, it certainly wasn't. Hyuuga did not find things funny, especially not pranks. No, it was very unfunny, in his very valuable opinion.

Everyone who hadn't fallen victim to the prank-tastrophe that occurred on that day, would recall it fondly. It became a local legend of sorts, how some mysterious shinobi had disguised themselves as two chuunin and wreaked havoc on the local Jounin. Some claimed it was the only two jounin who weren't affected, Maito Gai and Mitarashi Anko. Others genuinely thought it was Kotetsu and Izumo, who were cursed with eternal guard duty for their alleged crimes. Oh, and they had to repair the entire mess which the Jounin Committee building had become. Which included paying for said repairs.

Some of Konoha's populace thought it was all some thought experiment and it had never occurred in the first place.

There was one, widely accepted conclusion, though. The events of that day would be remembered for years to come. And only two young genin knew what truly happened that night. While one had a very, very good idea.

Naruto and Lee would finish their laps in three hours, some of which they'd ran on their hands, others one their two feet. After about five hundred, Naruto was only continuing because of Lee's encouragement and chakra.

By the time they'd finished, Naruto dropped to the ground in a sweaty heap, and Lee dropped after her.

"Lee… My dude.. I don't know what exercise regime you do.. But you… Gotta… Put me on that.. Shit.." She said, between deep breaths.

"Naruto-kun.. I would be overjoyed.. To train.. With you.. Under my very extensive exercise.. Regime, as prescribed by.. Guy sensei…" Lee replied, also sucking in deep breaths.

Naruto noticed the change in honorific, and assumed that it meant Lee had a different view of her now, rather than some pretty girl to proclaim his love for. She felt bad for whatever girl would be subjected to his over-the-top proclamations.

"Awesome.." She replied, raising her fist for another bump. Weakly, their fists met, and then promptly dropped back to their side.

Each of them had felt the consequences of that run, certainly.

* * *

**_OUTSIDE OF TRAINING GROUND 44:_ **

* * *

When Monday finally arrives, Naruto had steeled her resolve. She would apologize today. It had been long enough, and letting things fester would never lead to healthy healing. Or at least, that was what she'd heard.

Smashing the spiked ball of her weapon, in it's flail form, into a tree, she watched as shrapnel from the impact flew in every direction. Splinters of bark fell, some nearly colliding into her small form.

She was torn away from her mindless destruction, or, "weapon's practice," as she had called it. Anko had told her they would skip on D-ranks for today, because she had to pick up extra hours at T&I. Which left her training alone outside of The Forest of Death, until eventually her jounin instructor arrived.

Which she soon did.

Perceiving that familiar sensation of Anko's chakra, although it seemed suppressed. It was like a flicker, as opposed to her usual flame. Naruto's cerulean eyes glanced upward for a moment, before flicking back to her target.

Diving from above, Anko landed on a tree branch standing on her two feet confidently.

"Sheesh, gaki. I tried to sneak up on you. You must be getting really good with that sensory technique of yours." The purplette said, a close-lipped smile on her face.

Ah, yes. Her bloodline. Naruto wondered if Anko had any curiosity regarding it, like the others did. Apparently, she did. The blonde didn't need to have an emotion sensing ability to see that her sensei was proud of her, though.

Naruto didn't bother telling her that her skills with her bloodline hadn't improved at all since it's discovery, besides her becoming more knowledgeable about it.

And in regard to her bloodline, Naruto had some apologizing to do.

In her stereotypical show of nervousness, Naruto's hand subconsciously took up residency on the back of her neck.

Honey-eyes looked at the damaged trees which Naruto had been focusing her pent up energy on. And maybe her frustrations, too.

Taking in a deep breath, Naruto began her apology. The blonde needed to do this now, no more holding back.

"Anko-sensei, I'mReallySorryForUsingMySensoryAbilityOnYouAndBetrayingYourTrust. ' ." The words stumbled out of her mouth seriously, yet completely lacking in any kind of grace or tact.

Somehow, the older woman managed to actually understand what the girl was saying. Her features darkened distinctly, and Naruto felt unease creeping up on her.

Anko grimaced, her eyes dimming. "Kid… Don't apologize, but I probably have some explaining to do.." Said the purplette, sitting down on the tree branch she was standing on.

Naruto sat down at the base of the tree she was in front of, looking up at Anko, who was feet across from her. "I chose you as my student for a reason. Because we're alike, me and you." The jounin began, taking in a calming breath.

"We're alike?" Naruto repeated. She knew they were similar, but Anko was alluding to something else. Perhaps that was why Naruto felt such a strong kinship with her?

"Yes. Naruto, I was an orphan too. A no name orphan, at that. I literally gave myself the last name Mitarashi because I love Mitarashi dango." She smiled at that, a wistful brand of happiness residing in her expression.

Naruto smiled too, not daring to interject. The very air around them seemed to thicken with intense emotions, urging Naruto to keep her mouth shut.

"So.. I know what it's like to be alone. But I wasn't always alone.. When I was about ten, I graduated from the shinobi academy. And when I was twelve, a jounin took an interest in me. Actually, he was better than just some jounin. He's one of the three legendary sannin.. He helped me achieve chuunin." She continued, furrowing her purple brows together.

The blonde had heard of the three legendary sannin before, but she didn't know much at all about them.

"Orochimaru, specifically. It was too good to be true in hindsight, but at the time, I didn't see that. I was so eager to become powerful, to have a mentor, that.. It just never dawned on me that I was nothing more than a toy to him."

Naruto's eyebrows knitted together in worry, blue eyes staring up at her sensei.

"He mostly treated me like every other jounin treated their students. He could be harsh, and strict, and even cruel sometimes. But I never knew what he was doing to others. Orochimaru.. That sick bastard, he kidnapped orphans to experiment on like it was nothing. He.. He cost so many innocents their lives. And he never gave it a second thought." Anko's eyes seemed impossibly dark, narrowed and focused on nothing in particular.

"W...Were you one of his experiments?" Naruto asked softly, cursing herself internally for even asking such a thing.

The purplette didn't even seem perturbed by the question. She didn't even react to it, as if she hadn't even heard Naruto utter the words.

"In a way, yes. But also, not quite. He had labs for his experiments. I was just an orphan to test his newest creation on. And.. He did just that. There were several of us.. But, my memory gets so foggy when I try to think about that night.. I have a feeling he did something to my head.." Her voice grew agitated, and even confused. Like that of a cornered animal, Naruto concluded.

As she regaled her memories, it was like she was experiencing them all over again. Phantom pains ghosted through her body, reminding her of the suffering she endured.

She hadn't told anyone except for the Hokage what had happened that night. It was too hard to tell, and too personal to share.

"I.. I remember, being in a warehouse.. He had dragged me along somewhere, and he gave me this.." She stopped, closing her eyes as her trembling fingers traced a spot on her shoulder.

Naruto knew that was where the evil mass of chakra was. "It's called the Cursed Seal of Heaven. A juinjutsu, or cursed sealing, technique. It contains a chunk of his decrepit chakra inside of it.. I've never used it, but the night he put this damned cursed hickey on me, he told me it would grant me power.. I was too busy writhing in pain to even care, though.." Anko uttered, her voice grave.

Taking in a deep breath, the woman ran a hand through her soft purple locks. Unintentionally, Naruto's sensory ability picked up on her emotions with her sensory ability, although unneeded. She could see the emotions swirling in her honey-brown eyes easily enough.

_Confusion, anger, betrayal, uncertainty…_

It took nearly five minutes for Anko to finish the story of her deepest trauma.

"After a few days, a team of Konoha nin found me unconscious. Orochimaru had been exposed for all his experiments, and had fled Konoha. They'd tracked down that warehouse expecting to find more of his test subjects.. I guess, in a way, they did. I was sent to the hospital immediately, with a severe fever and pain throughout my entire body. I couldn't give a statement for days because I had fried my vocal cords from screaming so much.." The woman pulled her coat to the side, allowing Naruto to finally see the Cursed Seal of Heaven.

Through Anko's mesh armor top, Naruto could see three black tomoe. They were organized into a circular shape, and looked like a strange tattoo.

However, Naruto knew better than to think such a thing could be a harmless tattoo.

The woman sighed, looking up at the tree branches above her. By now, the woman was recovering from retelling her story, her hands as still as usual. She no longer looked as troubled.

"So that's why you understand me, isn't it? Because people fear the seal on your shoulder?" Naruto's soft voice asked, letting her hand rest upon her own seal.

Beneath the cloth of her shirt, one of the most powerful beasts was held back by her seal. Naruto couldn't deny that the thought of how powerful seals could be was enticing.

"Yeah, partially. Fuinjutsu, or seals, aren't something most people understand. They hear that Orochimaru created it, they're terrified of it. Understandable, I guess… But when he branded me with it, they became afraid of me, too.. People, co-workers even, have questioned whether I'm truly loyal to Konoha, because I'm connected to that bastard snake." Anko said agitatedly, before continuing.

"I'm no jinchuriki, there's no bijuu in me. But people fear me the same way, just for different reasons."

The blonde solemnly looked down at her stomach.

"We're both physically connected to monsters who terrorized Konoha." Naruto summarized plainly.

"Yeah." Her teacher agreed weakly.

Naruto knew just one difference between their situations, though.

She would be a jinchuriki 'til the day she died. But Anko? Well there was still hope for her. Possibly, maybe.. Maybe Naruto could be the one to take that accursed seal off of her sensei?

Fuinjutsu seemed interesting. She could work learning fuinjutsu into her tight schedule. Especially if it meant helping her teacher.

"Er, Anko-sensei?" The girl asked, the awkward aura long gone.

"Yeah, kid?"

"How could I learn fuinjutsu?" The blonde asked, not bothering to explain her interest.

Anko swallowed, knowing she'd been part of the reason Naruto wanted to learn.

But, if Naruto wanted to learn the sealing arts, why would her sensei deny her?

Especially considering that, if her student became a seal's mistress, she could remove that accursed seal from her shoulder. "Unless you plan to dedicate yourself to fuinjutsu, you'll never learn it, Naruto.. It's one of the most complic-"

"I'll do it! I'm an Uzumaki, it's in my blood!" Naruto said, beautiful blue eyes sparkling with determination.

Anko could only chuckle in slight exasperation. "And, I don't want you to have to live with that evil hickey forever, 'ttbayo." Naruto muttered, folding her arms.

Anko Mitarashi suddenly found herself in the middle of an internal dilemma. Her student, a 12 year old girl, wants to become a fuinjutsu master?

Well, considering that Anko already believed the girl could become hokage, it wasn't too hard to accept.

What was hard to understand, was that her young student wanted to help her.  
Why? She couldn't fathom why it was hard to believe.

But, despite herself, despite her disbelief, despite her naive, little student, Anko Mitarashi trusted her.

She would place her faith in Naruto.

To master one of the most dangerous, complicated type of jutsu out there.

To clear her of her curse.

To become the best Hokage of all time.

And somehow, least of all, to become a chuunin less than a year after becoming a genin. Maybe her expectations were too much from the start. Could Naruto even accomplish one of those things?

Maybe, maybe not.

But the tokubetsu jounin chose to believe in her student, regardless of it all.

"Okay, Naruto-chan. I'll get you some textbooks, and you better study 'em like religious texts. And we'll be sure not to inform old man Hokage about your new interest. You'll tell me about your progress weekly. You won't enact any seals unless I'm around, okay? I may not know shit about those things, but I could at least prevent you blowing yourself up or something." Anko said strictly, jabbing her index finger at the girl.

Naruto nodded fervently, fists balled up at her sides.

"Why do we gotta keep it a secret?" She asked, merely curious.

The purplette sighed. She didn't like the idea of hiding things from her Hokage, but she knew the gravity of learning fuinjutsu. Only a few people in the entirety of Konoha knew anything about sealing besides storage scrolls, and there was a reason for that. Seals were complicated and dangerous, but also extremely powerful.

Or, more accurately, they have the capacity to be extremely powerful…

Because of this, seals masters were feared, for good reason. They held the power to destroy villages with those seals of theirs.

There was no way the elders would allow Naruto to learn the sealing arts, even if the Hokage approved. They'd make a huge ruckus, and the ever-so-passive Hiruzen Sarutobi would relent, barring her student from pursuing the arts.

But Naruto would never harm Konoha. And Anko would supervise, so there would be no dangers. Especially considering that it would take ages for the girl to get into the real powerful stuff, which was a whole 'nother can of worms the Mitarashi didn't even want to think about…

"It would cause some issues. There's only one fuinjutsu master belonging to Konoha, and that's Jiraiya of the Sannin. He's a legend for many reasons, and seals are one of them. And even though it sounds like a good thing to have another powerhouse like Jiraiya around, the village would never allow a jinchuriki to have that extra, kinda power. The hokage might, but the elders.. No way. To them, you're just a weapon. And a hazardous one, at that. Giving you the ability to learn fuinjutsu.." Anko trailed off, and Naruto got the idea.

She'd be too powerful, in their eyes. Naruto knew those two old geezers she saw with the hokage, when she was a small child, despised her. They looked at her with fearful, disgusted eyes. The Old Man had called them the elders, a council who offered him advice. What about, Naruto hadn't known. But apparently the village's bijuu jailer would be a topic which they gave their "advice," on.

But that raised another question entirely, regarding her jinchuriki status.

She knew hardly anything about bijuu, jinchuriki, or anything of the sort.

"Anko-sensei, do you know anything about.. I don't know, the people like me? The other jinchuriki, their beasts?" Asked the blonde

Anko hadn't expected her student to just accept that she'd need to keep a secret from the damn hokage and move on. Maybe she should learn to expect the unexpected with her student.

"Honestly, I don't. Jinchuuriki are secret weapons to their villages, there isn't much out there about them.. But I do know a bit about the bijuu. There are nine, each one with one more tail than the last. The Ichibi, the one-tail, is the weakest of the lot. I think that one is in Suna.. Then there's the Kyuubi, which is the strongest. Which is also the Yondaime sealed in your gut." Mitarashi said, wringing her hands.

Naruto thought about her answer. The Yondaime, that bastard, had sealed this beast within her. She knew that already, but it didn't make her any less bitter about it. She'd idolized him so much before she knew, it kind of shattered her view of him.

She'd always thought it was so cool that she looked so much like the man, but he had ended up being the one to make her life the miserable thing it was.

Why her? She'd always wondered that. Surely there were plenty of other orphans available. Because she was an Uzumaki? Possible, but why would he know that? It's not like he would've had the time to check her records to ensure her lineage in the middle of the Kyuubi attack. Her last name might've been Uzumaki, but she looked nothing like one. No, Naruto looked like the Yondaime, or a Yamanaka, not an Uzumaki.

So why..? Why would the Yondaime pick some random orphan who resembled him to bear such a burden?

Maybe her coloring was common for Namikaze, and she was chosen because she looked like him?

But, that would imply she was perhaps related to the Namikaze and the Uzumaki? Maybe he'd picked her because she was a relative?

She was on the verge ripping her hair from her scalp at this point, which was common when her thoughts went down this path. It was all too confusing for her, but she could never just drop it when it came up.

Uzumaki were famous for red hair and pale skin. She had neither, but she had their bloodline ability, so surely she was one. Was she more Namikaze than Uzumaki, maybe that's why her coloring is off..?

She couldn't reach an answer herself, no matter how hard she tried. It was a question for the Old Man hokage to answer, and she'd have to ask. Her curiosity simply had to be quenched.

"Welp, that's enough talking, brat! On your feet, let's get some training done! What should we do today, physical training, or should we spice it up?" Her teacher asked, tapping her chin.

Naruto, whom was pulled from her thoughts rather abruptly, just remembered why they had actually come to the training field.

"Oooo, how about more evasion training?" Her teacher asked, pulling a senbon from her coat.

Naruto grimaced, "I think you might genuinely enjoy stabbing me with those things."

"Me? Enjoy hurting my lovely little student? Never." She batted her eyelashes innocently, and oddly enough, Naruto's sensory ability decided to kick in.

_Amusement, enjoyment, deceit.._

Naruto did an internal double-take at the last thing she picked up on. Deceit?! Since when could she _feel_ when someone was lying?!

"You know, my bloodline just definitively told me that you're a dirty liar." Naruto informed dryly, narrowing her eyes.

"Tch, your fancy ability might be impressive, but that won't save you now." Anko said, her head tilted back in a show of confidence, her lips curled up into a smirk. A devilish sort of expression, if Naruto had to categorize it.

Throwing a barrage of wicked, silver senbon at her student's feet, the taunting began.

"Dance, gaki, dance!" The overly sadistic woman cheered, as Naruto barely avoided being nailed to the ground.

Growling, the girl had to avoid even more needles aimed at her. She was certainly dancing now.

* * *

**_Konoha's Shinobi Library.._ **

* * *

Naruto's Tuesday went by without anything of interest, having spent the day exercising and practicing katas with her sensei.

When Wednesday had arrived, Naruto had done her usual early morning mission, then parted ways with her sensei.

Wednesdays were Naruto's free training days, which she spent exercising with a specially made derivative of Lee's exercise routine. She thanked her lucky stars that the boy was kind enough to share his regiment. Then, she'd either relax, or head out to read something of interest.

Which was what she'd be doing today. She'd already tried to find a book on jinchuriki, but there was nothing of the sort.

A well-kept secret, Naruto imagined.

Instead, she'd found a book on the Legendary Sannin. She'd read the section on Senju Tsunade with mild interest, proud that a fellow woman had made herself so notable in the shinobi world.

A legendary medic with the strength to crush mountains. Certainly worth admiration.

The next section, on Orochimaru, made her scowl. She didn't even know the serpent, and she hated his guts. She skimmed the pages, and hated admitting to herself that the man sounded fearsome. That didn't mean he was worthy of respect, though.

No, quite the opposite. He was vile, and everyone should know it.

Pulling her trusty permanent marker from her kunai pouch, Naruto looked around the room. Affirming that there was no one around to catch her in the act, Naruto blacked out the entire section on the snake summoner, down the last page.

In the empty header of one page, she wrote in large blocky letters.

" **OROCHIMARU IS A CREEPY SNAKE WHO LEAVES HICKEYS ON LITTLE GIRLS, (And probably boys too.) TO HELL WITH THE PEDO-HEBI."**

Proud of her work, and the crude drawing of a dead snake she added as an afterthought, Naruto tucked away her marker and continued reading.

The next section was on Jiraiya, the legendary Fuinjutsu master that her sensei had mentioned. She read with full interest, mulling over the details a few times. He sounded very cool, a frontline fighter with powerful seals.

He'd even been the sensei of the Yondaime!

She went from excited to grim very quickly, remembering that she had a lot of questions to ask the Hokage relating to that man. Slamming the book shut, she decided to finally go and ask them. Inaction would get her no answers, after all. The genin returned the book to it's place on the shelf, not even noticing a pinkette reading at a desk as she sauntered out.

* * *

**_HOKAGE'S TOWER…_ **

* * *

The girl toyed with her hair as she awaited to be let into the Hokage's office, growing more and more anxious as the minutes passed. She watched as several shinobi waltzed through the hallways nonchalantly, nowhere near as tense as her.

The aura from their chakra did nothing to soothe her, either. They all felt lukewarm, or even cold. None of them even felt noteworthy, like something to close her eyes and explore.

She supposed that not everyone could have chakra like Tenten or Lee. Hell, even Anko or Gai. Both of them had comforting chakra signatures as well.

"Uzumaki, you may see the Hokage now." A frigid-toned receptionist informed her, cruelly tearing her from her thoughts.

It wasn't like Naruto to be anxious, not at all. But something about this, it told her that she wouldn't like the result. Call it a gut-feeling, or something.

She gave the woman behind the desk a polite nod, and headed down the hallway towards the familiar doors of the Hokage's office. Before entering, she pushed chakra to her Mind's Eye, enhancing her sensory abilities. Even if she couldn't close her eyes and watch his chakra, she'd surely be able to sense if he lied.

Certainly he wouldn't lie to her, though... The short girl sucked in a breath, and pushed the door wide open.  
That familiar elderly man sat in his usual hat and robes, behind his desk, filing paperwork.

His warm eyes met hers, and he read her tense body language immediately. They didn't call him The Professor for no reason at all.

"Naruto-kun, what is the matter?" He asked, concerned.

_Worry, Fear, Suspicion..._

Naruto decided to cut right to the chase. "Hokage-sama, am I related to the Yondaime? I did some reading, because I thought maybe I was part Namikaze or something.. But I couldn't find any information. Are they even a clan?"

_Alarm, fear, suspicion, confusion, agitation._

A knot grew in her stomach at the emotions coming from the old man. She'd almost wished she hadn't asked. "Why would you think that?" He asked, keeping his expression neutral. He was a fool to think that would throw off Naruto's abilities. Then again, he didn't know the extent of her bloodline.

"Because, I look just like him, 'ttbayo! And why would he just pick some random orphan? It can't just be a coincidence that he chose the one orphan that resembled him to hold a powerful demon!" She declared, feeling offended by his demeanor. He was staring at her in a way she didn't like, almost a calculating gaze.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't even get the chance to think of a reply.  
Naruto's mind was running wild. What if they were cousins? No, siblings? That would explain the exact same coloring, right? Or maybe, maybe.. What if he was her father?

Her stomach lurched and knotted at the same time, making her feel a bit queasy.

"Is he my dad? O-or, my brother?!"

"No." He spat, not even thinking. Sarutobi began to panic, unsure of what to do. It wasn't often that The Professor was left stumped like this, or that he blurted out words.

_Deceit. Confusion. DECEIT. Confusion. DECEIT._

Her sensory ability was practically screaming that he was a liar. And Naruto grew clammy, out of sheer disbelief.

She had to word her next question carefully, and use her ability to deem out an answer.

"So he's not my sibling?" She asked, and Sarutobi replied, "No, I'm afraid not."

No sign of any falsehood, so Naruto continued.

"And definitely not my father?" Naruto inquired, looking him directly in the eye.

In that moment, Naruto resembled Minato greatly, the thunderous blue eyes reminding him of the young man.  
And despite that, Hiruzen Sarutobi told a bold-faced lie.

"He is not your father. We do not know who your father is, though it is a possibility that you may be distantly related to the Namikaze." Hiruzen replied, a half truth of sorts.

_Deceit, Concern, Deceit, Worry, DECEIT._

Naruto couldn't hold back the scowl that marred her features, ill-fitting on a girl like her. "If you say so." She replied, storming out of his office.  
She was simply too angry for words. Her sensory ability detected his entire last statement as a lie, but which part? All of it? If so, that meant.. That meant that the Yondaime was her father..?

Naruto just couldn't believe that. Couldn't accept it.  
She pushed the feelings aside, and let her feet carry her home.

There was too much to do, so much to accomplish. Why had she even cared? The Yondaime is a dead man, it's not like it would change her life at all. Dead and gone.  
It didn't matter, not at all.

So why.. Why did Naruto cry herself to sleep that evening?

Perhaps it had been the newly severed bond between her and the Old Man. He'd practically been a grandfather to her. But now? She couldn't trust him, not at all. He'd looked her in the eye, and lied. And if it weren't for her bloodline, she'd never have known it.

Had he lied before? How many times? Had his care just been out of obligation? Or worse, was it all some machiavellian attempt to manipulate her?

All in all, Naruto was heartbroken. It felt as though she'd lost the Old Man she'd held dear. The price of idolizing someone you don't really know, Naruto concluded.  
Naruto had realized she didn't know Hiruzen Sarutobi at all. And after today? She didn't think she really wanted to. She went to sleep early that day, needing the extra sleep to heal her wounded heart. Tomorrow, she'd have to wake up and work hard, but tonight, she'd let herself be sad.

* * *

Naruto awoke in the morning zapped of any energy at all. It was unusual for her, needless to say. She wiped the sleep from her eyes, stretching lazily within her bed.

Thursday, meaning more training.

Nearly every day was training, Naruto realized.

She didn't waste time to mope, or soak in her despair. There was work to do, which meant no time for any of that.

Even if she desperately wanted to.

It felt as though a part of her was gone, snuffed out. That part, she realized, was the part of her heart where the childlike idolization for the Hokage sat. Sluggishly, she readied herself for the day, brushing her teeth, getting dressed, and leaving behind her apartment.

She stepped out into the morning air of Konoha, and for some reason, the day felt unusually dreary. Perhaps a reflection on her mood, she mused.

The sky was a pale blue, full of grayscale clouds being carried along by soft winds.

Thursday, she'd meet Anko at the dreaded Hokage's Tower.

And so she lumbered her way there, feeling emotionally exhausted. She carefully avoided looking up at the Hokage Monument the entire way, instead preferring to tune into the chakra of those around her. Most of those she passed happened to be citizens.  
Their emotions were worn on their sleeves, so much easier to read than shinobi. It would've been harder to just ignore them, frankly.

Most of them seemed rather happy, or indifferent. Unlike when she was a public nuisance, none of them paid her any mind, as if she were invisible.

She let out a deep sigh. She'd almost forgotten how it felt to be invisible. Her old class-clown, attention-seeking, idiot persona had made it impossible to pretend she didn't exist.

But now, everyone could again. Naruto didn't miss how they greeted every passerby but her, giving warm smiles and kind "how-are-yous."

A simple courtesy Naruto never experienced with those civilian strangers.

"Naruto, you're late." A familiar voice called, causing her head to snap up to attention.

She rubbed the back of her neck, that all-too-familiar show of sheepishness. Anko eyed her dangerously, the girl was unusually solemn.

Mitarashi would almost say the look in the girl's eyes told of something bleak.

"C'mon, kiddo. We've gotta stop by the mission's room, then I can teach you something new. Something that'll get you ready to learn ninjutsu." She said, in her own attempt to be an encouraging sensei.

Naruto gave a crooked, close-lipped smile, so obviously fake that Anko couldn't help but grimace when the girl turned her head.

They walked into the building at a slow pace, entering the Mission's Room, where some chuunin manned the desk. Naruto recognized the tan-skinned chuunin sorting through missions, but was too far in her own world.

She didn't greet him until Anko brought her back to the present, with a bonk over the head.

"Naruto?" Iruka, the chuunin passing out missions asked. Her golden hair bounced up with her head, suddenly at attention. "Oh! Mornin' Iruka-sensei." She said, giving him a much more genuine smile. Hesitantly, Iruka looked up at her sensei, who shrugged.

"Good morning. Here for another D-rank, I take it?" He asked, sorting through the stacks of papers. Naruto scoffed.

"Course. Anko-sensei won't let me take any cool missions yet. We need three of those, by the way." The blonde told him, causing Iruka to tilt his head slightly. It was his first time manning the missions desk with Naruto as a genin, so he had no idea of their routine yet.

"Three D-ranks." She specified curtly.

His brown eyes sent a very pointed look to Anko, who was checking her nails lazily behind the blonde. She looked up when she felt two eyes burning into her, and quirked a brow.

"Mitarashi-san, you wouldn't be overworking Naruto here, right? She's only one, new genin. Giving her three-"

"It's fine, Iruka-sensei. These D-ranks aren't nothin compared to the training she puts me through." Naruto grimaced theatrically, remembering that hellish evasion training…

Anko's eyes narrowed, a smirk falling onto her features.

"Ah, but Naruto loves all our time together. Even my special training." Said the purplette, swinging an arm around the small girl.

Naruto and Iruka interpreted this statement drastically differently. Unsurprising, since they had drastically different impressions of the woman/

The blonde, who took it as a threat, visibly bristled.

Iruka, however, took it as an admission of the jounin molesting one of his favorite ex-students. He sputtered, before pulling Naruto away from the jounin, placing two hands firmly on her shoulder.

"Naruto-chan, if Anko is touching you inapp-" Before Naruto could hear the rest of what he was saying, he was interrupted by the wicked cackling of a purplette.

The wheezing sensei held three crumpling papers in her hand, clasped tightly as she howled. Turning on her heel, Naruto grabbed her sensei, and began her march towards the door.

"See ya, Iruka-sensei! Me and this dummy Anko have missions to complete, and training to do." She said, dragging the woman behind her.

Iruka exasperatedly sat back down at his desk, his head in his hands, ignoring the others in line.

* * *

After just one of the oh-so-grueling D-Ranks, Naruto was dragging her feet as if they were made of lead. Normally, the girl would rush through the chores, so they could start some training. But today, Naruto wasn't exactly acting like her usual unstoppable self.

"Stupid villagers needing their stupid groceries delivered to their stupid houses, 'ttbane.." The girl muttered, holding 6 plastic bags as she trudged along.

Anko, who had one paper-bag in hand, smiled at her student's dismay. She also D-ranks back when she was a fresh genin. Not that she'd done very many, though.

"If you hate it so much, just use those enormous reserves of yours to summon some clones to do it for you." The purplette suggested.

Naruto halted in her tracks, and palmed her face in agitation.

"Why didn't I think of that?! You're a friggin' genius, dattebayo." Naruto said, raising her hands into a very familiar seal.

Summoning 12 clones from thin air, she began spitting commands like some sort of war general. She sent 6 of them to finish delivering the groceries for their second mission, and she sent the other 6 to start and finish the third.

Then, the trek towards Training Ground 44 began. "See, this is why you should think smart, not hard." Anko said, giving her student a light punch in the arm.

She hadn't mentioned it yet, but she had noticed how strangely her student was acting. Normally, Naruto would blaze through missions, then practically drag her to their training spot, and chatter the entire way.

It seemed Naruto preferred silence today, though.

"Smart is more for the Nara folks." Naruto remarked, a small tug at her lips forming a soft smile, just for a moment.

* * *

**_Outside of Training Ground 44…_ **

* * *

Never let it be said that Anko Mitarashi was the most emotionally intelligent woman, because she would probably slap anyone who did. She knew how to exploit emotions in torture sessions, she knew how to read people, but comforting kids would never be her forte. No matter how close she was with said kid, it just wasn't in her nature.

But nonetheless, she tried.

"Naruto, what's up with you today, kid?" She asked suddenly, in a way that was admittedly brash. She watched the way her student's eyes widened with surprise, then narrowed as she stared at nothing in particular. Her shoulders tensed, and she straightened just slightly. One of her hands openly displayed nervousness, the girl was rubbing her thumb against the side of her index. Clearly a sign of subconscious self-soothing.

Anko didn't miss even one of those details, studying the girl next to her closely.

Naruto suddenly whirled around, "I'll let you know after we train today… It's just.." The blonde sighed, before sucking in a deep breath.

She trusted her teacher with everything. If it meant revealing that the Hokage had told an enormous, world-shattering lie to her, she would do it.

There was mutual respect, and strong trust between both of them. Naruto knew she could trust her teacher with this.

"It's something big, isn't it?" Anko finished, folding her arms over her chest.

"Yeah.. Yeah, it is." She said solemnly, just as they entered the training ground. Anko swallowed, giving a firm nod. Anko kept walking towards the gate to the forest, leaping up onto the fencing.

"Well, then let's get our training for today done quickly. I've got a chakra control exercise to teach you, so that way we can give you an elemental jutsu to use next week." Said the purplette, leaping over the side of the fence.

Naruto knew all about the horrendous, nightmarish creatures which lived in The Forest of Death. Centipedes and snakes hundreds of feet long, poisonous frogs, oversized wild boars, disease-filled insects crawling everywhere, carnivorous plants.. Not to forget those bird-eating spiders Anko-sensei had told her about.

The list went on, really. She had no idea as to why her sensei loved that Kami-forsaken place so much.

The young genin's skin turned pale, recoiling slightly. "Er.. Aren't only chuunin allowed in there?" She asked uneasily, pointing at the looming, ominous forest.

"Nope, there's a river in here, and we need water for this. Now c'mon, you aren't scared, are you?" She cooed mockingly, smirking down at her.

Naruto, who was very scared, quickly became indignant.

Clenching her fists, and running up the side of the fence, she leapt over.

"I'll show you! Naruto Uzumaki isn't scared of anything!" She declared, ignoring the way her skin crawled in the new environment. A sensation of dread washed over her, quashing any genuine confidence the girl had.

She put on her best poker-face, and followed behind her sensei as she led her towards the aforementioned river.

Thankfully, the purplette didn't notice how Naruto was looking over shoulder every second, otherwise she would've probably teased her about it for the rest of eternity.

The finally reached the wide river, with rushing slate-blue waters. An odd color for a Konoha river, but nearly all of the forest felt like another world. It all seemed darkened, or, even muted? The leaves on every tree had a dark green, a stark contrast from the vibrant leaves on the trees in the rest of Konoha. Even the soil beneath her feet seemed darker.

"Okay, brat. You've worked on the tree-walking, now it's time for water-walking! This is the final step before I teach you some jutsu. This is essentially the same as tree-walking. Focus your chakra to your feet, then walk. You know how it is."

The blonde scowled.

She knew, yes. But that wasn't exactly helpful advice. She stared as her sensei got comfortable in one of the high up tree branches, apparently ready to take a cat-nap while she worked her ass off.

"Who the hell can relax in a freaky place like this?" The blonde muttered to herself, turning and facing the river.

"What was that?!" Anko questioned, leaking out just a little bit of KI.

Naruto snapped her head back around to give a frightened glance at her sensei, ensuring there were no senbon aimed at her.

"Nothing! Jeez!" She retorted, looking back at the river.

It was going to be a long day, that was certain. Inhaling, the girl closed her eyes, letting her ability activate.

She could see her chakra beginning to swirl, as she pushed as much chakra to the soles of her feet as possible. Uneasily, the girl took a step out onto the water.

When she noticed her right foot was stable, she placed her left onto the water. And was promptly swept underwater.

Yes, it would be a long day indeed.

Plunged into the frigid water in an instant, water filled her lungs when she gasped in surprise. She thrashed in the water, pulling her head back up to the surface.

Naruto violently coughed out the water, heaving in deep breaths as she pulled herself onto the riverbed.

Agitatedly, she groaned loudly, flopping onto her back. She stared up at the gray clouds, hiding away the blue sky and casting shadows on the entire forest.

Dragging herself back onto her feet, she began to ready herself once more. She had training to do. One cannot simply lay on their ass and expect to get the rank of chuunin.

Besides, Naruto was quite eager to learn a cool jutsu.

It went on like that for a long while. Naruto gaining a moment of stability on the surface, then floundering, and falling into the river. It took two hours for her to finally realize she had to actively alter her chakra depending on the strength of the river rapids.

Soon after, she was able to walk across the water's surface, although only when she focused all her attention on it.

Anko, who'd begun watching, gave a proud smile. Teaching a kid the water-walking exercise on a river wasn't the greatest idea, considering how much extra focus it would take.

However, if Naruto could walk on rushing waters, she could walk on any other water as well. Needless to say, Anko was impressed. But now that they were finished, they had another matter to attend to.

She leapt from her tree, stepping out onto the water. She maintained her easygoing stance on the water, causing the struggling Naruto to grumble. Snatching the girl's collar, she dragged Naruto back to solid ground.

"Now then, what was up with you this morning?" Asked her sensei, still dragging the blonde along.

The girl was picking algae out of her damp hair with a disgusted expression when she replied, "We need to go somewhere private." She frowned, trying to squeeze the remaining river water out of her long pigtails.

"Although I don't think that's a problem here, I have just the place.." She said, causing Naruto to stare at her incredulously, still being dragged along by her teacher. She waved her arms frantically as her sensei leapt into the trees, maintaining a tight grasp on the collar of Naruto's top.

When they finally stopped, or rather, Anko stopped running with Naruto flying behind her like a ragdoll in the wind. "Gaahhh! Did you have to drag me?" Naruto questioned, huffing. The girl looked ahead, and her scowl turned into a deadpan expression.

She stared at a tree-house, made of light, unpolished wood, nestled within tree branches.

It was safely tucked away, hidden from the rest of the forest.

"Did.. You… Actually build.. A fucking tree-house in thE FOREST OF DEATH?!" Her voice started out even, but grew into a loud shout of disbelief.

Her expression was conflicting. Her jaw was agape, yet there was the faintest pull of a smile. Her brows were furrowed, but her eyes wide and sparkling.

Anko broke into a bright, toothy smile. "Yup! Now c'mon, or I'll leave you out here to get eaten." Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Naruto followed her teacher inside. The place was rather roomy, lacking in furniture. On the wall, a perfect Konoha symbol was made from senbon needles, looking like genuine art.

A picture was framed on the wall. Anko, with a sparkling new hitai-ate. Naruto smiled at the image, briefly wondering who took it.

Her sensei, noticing how the girl stared at the framed photo, and spoke. "Say, kid, we should probably get a photo like that. Hold on, I know I've got that old ass camera lying around here." She said, walking to the other end of the room.

Two sides of the room were separated by a half wall. One half vaguely resembled a kitchenette without appliances, while the other resembled a living room.

Well, if a few bean bags, some throw pillows, and a few empty dango boxes were what made a living room.

Naruto plopped down onto one of the bags, paying no mind to the thin layer of dust in the tree-house.

"Man, I haven't been in here since my chuunin days.." The purplette muttered, digging through a small crate.

Naruto's eyes wandered around the building, noticing how many of the items lying around were aged, and in relatively poor condition. The blonde, being a fellow poor orphan, could guess why. Most of the items had probably been found in the garbage, bought used, or on sale.

No shame in that, of course. The tree-house was still relatively comfortable, a spacious area where you could easily relax.

Well, if one didn't think about the horrendous creatures outside. Then, they could easily relax. Naruto noticed how the windows had random, thick fabrics nailed over them in an attempt to make curtains. There were stickers in some spots on the wooden walls, faded and yellowing.

"Aha! Found it!" Anko announced, pulling a cream-colored analog camera out of the crate. Naruto smiled at her, as she walked over with the camera in hand.

She dusted off the surface, and blew any dust off of the glass lens.

"Should have plenty of film left on it.." She sat down beside Naruto, turning the camera towards them. "Say cheese!" Anko directed.

The blonde and purplette both gave their best, million-dollar smiles. Anko had one hand atop the blonde's head, while Naruto had her hands up in two peace-signs.

Instantly, the camera printed out a rectangular photo. "One more!" Anko said, removing the photo. This time, Naruto tilted her head to the side, and stuck her tongue out just slightly. Anko gave the girl devil horns with her hand behind her head, and instead opted for a smirk and a wink for this photo.

When the photo was printed, Naruto immediately snatched it away. "I wanna keep this one!" Anko chuckled lightheartedly, staring at the camera in her hands. She'd remembered how happy she was when Orochimaru gave it to her all those years ago. A gift, right after they'd taken a photo together upon her promotion to genin.

She'd long since burned the picture, but the camera remained. And what better time to pass it on to her own student.

"Here, Naruto. You can keep this. You better use it well." She said, sitting cross-legged in her bean-bag chair.

Naruto's eyes filled with stars, and she looked at the camera with a longing. "I can't take it, though. It's from your childhood, it should be like a keepsake." She said, her lips screwing to the side. Anko blinked twice, owlishly. She nearly even recoiled. Naruto had always taken her gifts happily thus far, never questioning her motive or whether she should accept it.

It was quite unlike her.

"Nah, kid. I won't get much use out of it anymore. You should, though. You and your little friend will want pictures to look back on when you're both all old and wrinkly." She said humorously, shoving the camera into Naruto's arms.

"Her name is Tenten, 'ttebayo. Fine, I'll take it. But only if you let me pay you back with dango next week." Naruto said with a soft smile.

Anko dramatically fell into her chair, clasping her hands and making an exaggerated love-struck expression.

"You really know how to speak my language, gaki!"

The blonde snorted loudly, covering her hand with her mouth.

They sat in silence for nearly five minutes, before Anko finally brought them back to what they were supposed to be talking about.

"So, are we going to talk about what's got you acting all weird?" She asked softly, not quite comfortable with the fact that she might have to be all soft and comforting. She'd probably make it awkward if she tried to use that method of comfort.

Naruto sighed.. "I really don't know what to say or how to say it, so I'm just gonna say what I'm thinkin', dattebayo."

Anko gave a slight nod, the cogs in her mind beginning to turn. Did someone break her student's heart? She'd skin someone if they dared to betray Naruto's trust.

Or maybe someone died? She had some sort of funky rash which she was too embarrassed to go to the doctor about? Or maybe-

"I think my dad might have been the Yondaime."

Welp, that was certainly not what she was expecting.

"What the hell do you mean?!" She all-but-screamed, her jaw practically falling to the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, in case you folks didn't notice, I basically "make up" stuff to fill in areas which aren't expanded upon in canon. I call this an AU because I add a lot of things which might be contradictory to canon or don't exist in it. And of course, there's plenty of other reasons this is an AR/AU.
> 
> Edited on 12/10/2020.
> 
> Just to clear things up, if anyone was upset that Lee and Naruto had a draw, he still had on weights, and it was merely a friendly spar. Results would've been drastically different otherwise, but that's not too important.
> 
> What do you think about the content of this chapter? Let me know!
> 
> Thank you for reading, smooches, much love, all of it!~


	6. Chapter Five: Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> T&I work, criminal thoughts, Sensei and Student bonding,

_**"..She'll show you what she's made of,  
Yeah she's comin' for ya.."** _

* * *

**_Forest of Death, Anko's Treehouse..._ **

* * *

By now, Anko was pacing around the treehouse nervously, while Naruto nestled into the beanbag even more.

She leaned against the birchwood walls, grabbing at her purple hair. "I cannot fucking believe this. I mean I can, I don't think you're a liar, Naruto! But holy shit!" She practically shouted, her eyes wide and shocked.

"I know, I know! But think about it, he has to be my father. I look just like him, and why would he pick some random orphan to contain the Kyuubi! C'mon Anko-sensei, you know he was considered a genius, why would a genius grab some random kid?!" She said, waving her arms.

"OOOOhhh my Kami. The fucking Yondaime's kid! Is my student!" She declared.

Naruto smiled uneasily, brushing through her hair with her fingers.

"Oh Kami. That's so fucked up! Naruto, I cannot believe this shit! The village- they just tossed aside the Yondaime's fucking kid! And the Hokage- He wasn't even going to tell you.." She spat suddenly, which made the smile drop from her face.

Naruto knew it was true, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

"They- The only reason you ended up as my student, is because they didn't want to make room for you on another team.. Or even as a third member…" Anko muttered, rubbing her temples soothingly.

"They'd have cast me aside." Naruto said, a grimace across her face.

Two vibrant blue eyes met with two honey-brown ones, and they suddenly felt more bonded than before.

"Man, you really saved my ass when you stepped up to be my sensei." Naruto said, breaking their eye contact. She stared up at the ceiling, which was nothing more than beige wooden boards.  
Sunlight somehow managed to shine through a small hole in the ceiling, a ray of moonlight poking through the room, which was illuminated by lanterns that Anko had lit. They'd been here for hours at this point, she'd swore she saw Anko go through a hundred moods when Naruto told her.

"Kid.. we've got a big secret in our hands now. And my question is, what the hell do we do with it?" Anko asked, sliding down the wall and onto the floor.

"What can we do?!" Naruto asked, her hand resting on her forehead. Her voice always had a slight rasp to it, a genuine hoarseness in it's melodic tone. But in that moment, her voice genuinely sounded like it would break.

"Well.. You could tell the Hokage you know-"

"Not happening. I don't even want to look at him right now." She spat, venom dripping from her words. Her sensei frowned, looking up at the ceiling as well.

"If you did.. You could at least demand answers. Demand your inheritance-"

Naruto interrupted, her eyes darting over to the jounin sitting against the wall.

"Inheritance?" Naruto questioned.

"Of course. The Yondaime had cash, plenty of it. There was even a big-ass mansion built for him when he became Hokage. I'm sure it's full of books, scrolls, and jutsu notes... Maybe there's even something there which could tell you about your mother." Anko explained, her face lacking any traces of mirth.

Her lips were in a slight down-turn, but not quite a frown.

Naruto gulped, blinking twice. If Anko was right, she could be rich. Loaded, even. She'd never have to do a stupid D-rank again. She could buy a fancy apartment, or even move into her father's home. She'd never have to feel ashamed of that decrepit old building again. No more listening to the mice scurry inside her walls.

But, that would only be if she could get the Old Man- The Hokage- to admit that Minato Namikaze was her father. And frankly, he seemed rather adamant when she first raised the issue..

Would he ever even tell her the truth? Had he planned to?

So many unanswered questions that she just couldn't answer. But that didn't mean that none of them could be answered.

What about her dad's friends? His sensei, his students? Maybe he had family?

She'd need to head back to the library, and search for anything related to Yondaime.

But what if the shinobi library had no answers for her?! She swallowed yet again. There was one place where everything related to him would likely be...

His house.

But how would she get in?

…

…..

' _Oh sweet Kami I'm not genuinely considering breaking into his place, am I?!'_ She asked herself, despite knowing the answer.

But, it was one thing to break into a place to lay traps.

It is a completely different thing to break into your dead father's mansion, -to possibly steal some of his things- and to learn about him.

Considering she deserved all of those things as his daughter, surely it wouldn't be criminal? Certainly it wouldn't be morally reprehensible either, right?

Right. Totally. For sure.

Who was she kidding, there was no way in hell that she could get away with something like that. Breaking into his home would be a no-go. Besides, it'd probably be pretty hard to find the man's address..

Anko spoke up, in the softest, kindest voice she could muster. "I never knew your dad- Orochimaru hated him, so I did too. At least at the time.. But, he was a fuinjutsu master. Better than Jiraiya of the Sannin. People say he learned from another master, an Uzumaki. When I get you those textbooks, it'll be like you're following in your father's footsteps."

"Yeah, you're right.. Honestly, sensei, I just wanna know more about him- About my mom-" Her voice cracked, interrupting her tangent.

"She had to be an Uzumaki, right? Heh, maybe she was the one who taught my father everything he knew." Naruto mused quietly, unable to meet Anko's gaze.

"That's.. Not impossible- Actually, you might be right. As far as I remember, there weren't many Uzumaki around here… Or anywhere else, after the massacre in Uzu..." Anko informed.  
Naruto already knew about what happened in Uzu, or Whirlpool. She'd already come to terms with it, so it didn't hurt as badly to know she probably didn't have any other family out there.  
The blonde took in a long, steadying breath.

"I've gotta go to the library. Learn whatever I can. Maybe there are books about him, or the past Hokages. Minato Namikaze, there has to be a book on him." Naruto suddenly sat up straight, readying herself to stand.

Anko paused, sitting in silence for a few minutes.

When Naruto stood up, Anko grabbed her wrist, catching the blonde's attention.  
The younger girl pulled Anko to her feet, and she dusted herself off..

"I'll.. I'll go to the Konoha Archives Division tomorrow. Most of the minor legal proceedings are recorded and kept there, like, all the civilian stuff. Marriage and divorce licenses are almost always in the public archives. If they're sealed, I can use my position as an official Shinobi of the Intelligence division to get into the area where they keep the more private stuff." The purplette explained rather poorly, unsurprised when her student interrupted.

"Konoha Archives?"

"Yes. The files, the documents that the Hokage and Fire Daimyo sign, regarding Konoha, are kept. At least the ones which don't have important matters, which mostly pertain to the Shinobi world. Like, I'll find death certificates, and files on minor criminal cases. Like convictions of shoplifters, those records are public.. But not on stuff like the Uchiha Massacre, or the Kyuubi attack. Or even declared missing nin, or traitors. The records for those cases are kept within the Hokage's Towers, for extra safe-keeping." She explained, her eyebrow twitching when Naruto's eyes widened just a bit. She knew that meant the little blonde had even more questions.

"Okay, but.. Why are you doing that for me? Wouldn't it take ages to sort through all those files to find marriage records?" Naruto asked, her head tilting ever-so-slightly.

Anko smiled at her kindly. That wasn't at all the kind of question she'd expected. She'd thought her reasoning was rather obvious.

"Well, marriage and divorce licenses have their own section.. And they're alphabetically ordered, so it shouldn't take more than a day. If I'm lucky, I'll find it quick. But, think of it as a favor. From one orphan to another." She explained.

Naruto's big blue eyes grew visibly teary, and Anko didn't even have the time to try and console her. The small blonde practically leapt into her arms, engulfing her in a loving hug.  
Anko froze, forgetting to even blink for a moment. Naruto's voice was nearly trembling, but full of unabashed joy. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Now we'll be able to find out who my mother is, dattebayo!" She said, squeezing her sensei tightly.

The taller woman nearly melted, returning the embrace by wrapping her own arms around Naruto. She tousled the girl's hair with one hand, the other resting on Naruto's upper back.

"No worries, kiddo. Like I said, from one orphan to another."

"You're the absolute greatest, Anko-nee! Seriously, 'ttebayo!" Naruto declared, sniffling as she wiped at her teary eyes.  
Anko pretended not to notice the wet-spots on the back of her jacket, caused by the tears which had already fallen. When they separated, Anko's heart suddenly felt warmer, happier, just downright lighter than it had in ages.

She did notice the honorific that Naruto tagged onto her name, and she would not ignore that. She couldn't, not when it made her feel all warm and fuzzy. She'd never been a big sister before, not to anyone.

"Damn right I am, imouto!" She agreed, snorting at Naruto's slightly flustered cheeks. The girl's smile was so big, it practically threatened to rip her face in half

"It'll be midnight before long, Naruto. We oughta get out of here." Anko said, disrupting the joy which settled in the room. "Ah, right! Good thing the shinobi library is open 24 hours, otherwise, I'd have to do all my research tomorrow morning." Naruto remembered suddenly.

By then, the two had left the small treehouse, and Anko had pulled the door shut.

As they began to leap through the trees, heading back towards Konoha, Anko spoke.

"Oh, by the way kid, Ibiki wants you to do your own interrogation this week. He said you handled watching those last ones pretty well, so you'll be doing it yourself this time. Be there by three tomorrow. I might not be there, so just do as Ibiki says." Anko informed her, just as they left the Forest of Death.

Noticing how her student seemed to suddenly pale, the purplette chuckled. "Relax, kid. Interrogations and torture are two different things. Interrogations on their own aren't gorey or anything. Torture is what happens to those who refuse to talk during an interrogation. And you aren't ready for people like that yet anyway. You'll probably just have to quiz some drug dealer." Despite how brash Anko put it, her words actually soothed Naruto.

She was glad to not be doing any torturing yet. When she was doing chores in the basement, she'd heard those screams in torture chambers. She'd seen blood-soaked T members when she went down there to run errands. She hadn't had the misfortune of actually witnessing a torture session yet, but Naruto knew she would probably get some mental scars from it.

She also knew that, it was inevitable, at least as Anko's student.

"See ya, Naruto. Stay safe, I-" Anko trailed off, incapable of finishing her sentence.

Naruto, who'd just snapped back to reality, grinned. It was a uniquely devious sort of grin, a smile that made her eyes look fox-like.

"Awhh, were you gonna say you loooved me?" Naruto questioned teasingly, in a sing-song voice.

"No! Gah, little brat!" Anko practically squeaked the last bit, unusually flustered. Apparently, telling her surrogate little sister she loved her, would just be too much. In fact, it seemed that even the suggestion that she would have sent her brain haywire.

"But I'm your favorite little brat!" Naruto chirped, getting a loud huff from her teacher.

Anko not-so-subtly stomped one of her feet, folding her arms as she did.

"Yeah, yeah." Anko had tried to shoot her a glare, but couldn't even make a half-hearted one. Naruto guffawed, before taking two big steps back. For her own safety, really.

Anko might be her big-sister figure, but she was still crazy and sadistic. And violent when provoked.

And when Naruto said, "Awh, I love you too Nee-chan!" It was definitely intended to provoke.

But it was also completely true, even if Naruto ran away giggling. Three senbon threw overhead, but Naruto paid them no mind.

She did have a place to be, after all.

* * *

**_Konoha's Shinobi Library_ **

* * *

Seeing the hitai-ate on Naruto's neck, the shinobi guard behind the desk gave Naruto a nod.

That meant she was confirmed to continue, so she walked past the drowsy librarian beside him and began her search. She headed straight to section on the village history, perusing the books. There was no way she wouldn't be here all night.

And so she began pulling books from the shelves, stacking them in her arms.

She had three, dusty books by the time she sat down.

" _The Life of A Kage: By Hashirama Senju."_

" _The Legend of Konoha's Yellow Flash."_

" _The Third Great Shinobi War: A Comprehensive Retelling from a Konohagakure Nin."_

She'd taken the first book out of mere curiosity, the second and third because they had to have some information on her father. The third could possibly supply her with additional information as well, which would be useful.

Naruto started with the second book, focusing to the best of her ability. The next few hours would be grueling for her poor brain, but it didn't matter.

She'd flipped through the pages, soaking up the information with fervor. She halted suddenly, her eyes going over the page she read several times.

It described how Minato Namikaze had three students, Obito Uchiha, Rin Nohara, and Kakashi Hatake. Apparently, the older two of his genin team died during the war.  
The other, Kakashi Hatake, was considered a prodigy. He became a jounin immediately before the mission that killed his teammate.  
Naruto hadn't considered it before, but her and her generation of nin had it easy in Konoha now. Being a shinobi was never easy, that she knew.. But to grow up in a war-time, would be infinitely worse.

Suddenly, it felt like the gravity of world-peace had dawned on her.

She tried to shake off her feelings, and continued reading.

What she read next left a bad taste in her mouth.

" _Minato Namikaze was known to have an incredibly close relationship with his genin, along with many others, an uncommon occurrence in shinobi. His care for those around him was a secret to no one, despite his numerous enemies. Many of the Yondaime's friends noted that Kakashi Hatake was like a son to him, one of his most precious people."_

First of all, why the hell should openly caring about your friends be uncommon? Yeesh, this author must be one of those civilians who can hardly understand that shinobi are people. And second, why was she suddenly so jealous of this Kakashi fellow?

Third, why was there no mention of any sort of girlfriend or wife in here?

Naruto really, really, hoped her dad hadn't just found some Uzumaki to have a one-night stand with. That would imply she was not only unwanted, but also nothing more than a convenience to use when Kyuubi attacked.

Regardless, she'd have some sort of answer to that when Anko scoured for marriage records. If there were none, she'd probably have to live with a plethora of unanswered questions. It's not like she could ask her father's one living student about him, the guy probably didn't know she existed. Not only that, but he'd probably never believe she was Minato's kid.

Her face scrunched, a sour expression forming at that thought.

If there were marriage records.. That would imply, no, assure.. That her father's student knew of her. How could one simply hide a pregnant wife for nine months? This Hatake guy would surely know that Minato had a child.

He was probably just another one of those people who thought she was the Kyuubi reborn.

She scowled, knowing she was only making assumptions at this point. On the brighter side, if there was a marriage record, then it opened many doors for her. She could explore her mother's side, perhaps answer questions through learning of her mother.

The Hokage had told Naruto when she was just a little thing, that both of her parents were dead. But that didn't mean she couldn't learn more about both of them. Even if old man Hiruzen didn't want to tell her, she'd find a way to learn about them.

Of course, that would take time.

"And I've got better things to do than waste my time chasing ghosts…" Naruto mumbled, finishing her train of thoughts. Her blue eyes lacked their typical vibrancy, their usual twinkle had dimmed once more.

Even now that Naruto was learning to school her features, to not show her emotions to the world, her eyes would always show just how she was feeling.

And tonight, Naruto Uzumaki felt particularly solemn, in a very numb sort of way.

Her days felt quite tumultuous, bouncing from fun with Anko and Tenten to the resigned sense of gloom whenever she was alone like this.

Naruto knew why she'd spent all that time playing a fool, never using her head. Because when she takes the time to think about the world around her, what led her here, the past, the what-ifs..

All of it just left her down-in-the-dumps.

Her mind was hyperactive, it jumped from one thing to another, from an assumption to a conclusion. It made for quite the whirlpool, spiralling her into progressively more melancholy thoughts until she just felt.. Well, terrible.  
It was part of the reason she trained so hard, she worked on a schedule and rarely took breaks. It left no time to question herself, it kept her Flames of Youth burning, as Guy would put it.

It left no time to spiral into a downtrodden mood, where she'd feel like doing nothing at all.

Closing the book she'd now finished, she began the next.

A long night ahead, indeed.

* * *

The rest of her night, and Friday after, went on without a hitch. She'd read her books, then finished her errands at T , and finished her first interrogation.

All of course, in a sluggish, zombie-like state due to lack of sleep.  
Anko had still yet to bring back any findings regarding marriage licenses and whatnot, but Naruto had been too busy that Friday to notice.  
Although her first interrogation had been easy, she'd underestimated how long those things take.

The guy was nothing more than a petty criminal, but he'd wasted a lot of her time with lies and attempts at manipulation. Despite that Ibiki had told her she could not use violent measures during a normal interrogation, Naruto had whipped out a kunai after his 5th dramatic retelling of his life story.

He'd gone through that very embellished tale, all leading up to how he'd been forced into the life of crime, and the hinted conclusion that he wasn't to blame and that she should just let him go.

With a not-so-subtly twitching eye, she'd drawn her kunai, and the man squealed like a pig. Literally. Then, after wetting his pants, he'd confessed everything, and Naruto was allowed to leave.

Although she hadn't found her first interrogation very enjoyable, the others at T thought that it was more entertaining than daytime television.

Afterwards, Ibiki had pulled her aside to teach her something new.

They were standing in the basement, and Ibiki opened a silver briefcase.

Within it, there were several vials, and three syringes, large needles attached.

"Do you know why I've shown you this?" He asked, taking a long drag from a cigar hanging loosely from his lips.

Naruto studied the contents of the briefcase, trying to recognize any of the liquids in the vials, or find some purpose in them.

She cleared her throat, and fished her mind for an answer. "Er, I'm guessing you're gonna teach me about poisons and stuff?"

Ibiki nodded in approval, "Close enough. You won't be learning poisons until you're an official member of T&I. But for now, I'm just going to show you the essentials. This morning, you saw me use this on a Yakuza. What do you think it is?" Ibiki asked, tapping the vial with a bronze, translucent fluid within it.  
Naruto furrowed her brows, recollecting what Ibiki had shown her earlier that day.

Right before she'd performed her own interrogation, Ibiki had her sit in on one.

The yakuza he was interrogating hadn't budged, only making a peep to laugh at Ibiki.

She'd honestly thought that he'd be dragged to a torture chamber, but Ibiki had pulled out a metal tray instead.

He'd mentioned how the mysterious copper-colored liquid could get him to start talking. His words were, " _This will loosen you up_." She'd watched Ibiki take out one of those syringes, and poke the man in his upper arm.

After that, the man's word became slurred, and Ibiki had gotten some information. After it had been discerned that they'd need to use more.. Draconian methods.. They'd dragged him off.

She was certain that Hayate had called the drug by some nickname when he was talking to Inoichi...

"Uh, it's truth serum, right?" She blurted out, thankful she'd listened in on their conversation.

Ibiki's lips curved upwards, a slight smile that she'd rarely seen on him.

"Correct. Thiopental Sodium, also known as one of many truth serums. It's what we call a barbiturate, a drug which depresses the central nervous system. Thiopental Sodium is used for a lot of things, but Shinobi primarily use it to 'loosen up' criminals."

Naruto nodded, writing down what he said in a small notepad. After her first few weeks here, she'd started carrying one around with her, much like her sensei. When useful information was given to her, she always took notes. She didn't trust her memory enough not to. She'd never been the brightest, so she made up for that with writing notes. Hard work would always trump talent, in her mind.

"Here at Torture and Interrogation, we use this drug the most. Though, we have a few Hunter-nin who use it as well, along with some ANBU."

Bashfully, Naruto scratched her cheek. "Er, Ibiki-sensei? What's a Hunter-nin?"

Ibiki sighed, before taking another hit from his cigar.

"Hunter-nin are ninja specially trained to track down missing nin, sometimes interrogate, and always kill. They're efficient killers, they take out the target and destroy the body almost immediately. Unless, they've got interrogating to do. We don't have many here, I think we only have four actual Hunter-nin in Konoha, which isn't even enough for a full squad. In Kirigakure, they have the largest Hunter-nin force in all the Five Great Hidden Villages." He explained, watching as Naruto eagerly scrawled down notes.

Tapping her chin with her pen, Naruto spoke yet again. "So, if they do interrogations, did they work here at some point?"

Although the blonde wasn't sure if she could be a Hunter-nin, she was at least curious.  
Truthfully, Naruto was still looking for a specific career path as a shinobi.

She'd considered aiming for ANBU, but that would mean throwing away her Torture and Interrogation apprenticeship. Which she absolutely wasn't willing to do, despite that the job wasn't a pretty one.

"For Konoha Hunter-nin, yes. That's part of the reason we have so few of them. To be a Hunter-nin, you have to have some way to sense and track the enemy. Along with T experience, and a great knowledge of the human body."

Naruto made sure to write that down. Becoming a Hunter-nin, that could be a good path to take on her road to Hokage.

"Anyway, back to the lesson at hand. These other two are also important. This one," He paused, to tap on another vial.

"Suxamethonium chloride. Causes temporary paralysis, used when your subject gets too rowdy. It's a neuromuscular blocking agent. You'll use this one from time to time, but not too often."

Naruto nodded, despite not knowing what a few of those words even meant. She'd written down a reminder to read a book on human anatomy soon, because otherwise she'd probably be lost on all these technical terms.

And then, Ibiki continued. His gravelly voice seemed to darken, a stern tone overtaking his words.

"This.. is a very specific cocktail of drugs used for lethal injection." He paused, noticing the way that the blonde's shoulders hitched.

"It's rare that you'll ever use this. Still, as a member of Torture and Interrogation, it's unavoidable. You'll be given criminals who are sentenced to death. Sometimes, it's your job to be the executioner. It's no different than killing a ninja while out in the field. Say, for instance, Itachi Uchiha reappeared in this village.."

He paused yet again, allowing his words to sink in.

Naruto took in a deep breath through her nose, prepared to listen. She knew that killing was inevitable as a shinobi, but that didn't make the reality of it any less harsh.

"Itachi Uchiha is wanted on charges of treason, genocide, and the like. If he were caught here, he'd be captured and sentenced to death. Itachi would then be handed over to the Intelligence division, where several things could happen. But they all end with one of us executing him." Ibiki explained, putting his cigar out in a ceramic ashtray.

"We'd do that, with this. In this vial, we have Pancuronium bromide, Potassium Chloride, and midazolam. Together, these drugs paralyze, sedate, and stop the heart completely. It's relatively quick, and they're usually knocked out before they die. Remember, this is reserved to the worst of the worst. You won't use it during one of your usual interrogations."

Naruto released a sigh of relief, one she didn't know she was holding in.

"Each of these are injected intramuscularly, which makes them absorb into the body quicker. The second one can be used intravenously, but it's easier to administer them through the upper arm. Dosage is important too, considering that you don't want to accidentally murder some random goon.. " Ibiki scratched his head absently, his sharp eyes still on the young genin.

He was studying her reaction, looking for any signs that she couldn't handle the job. Thus far, he'd detected nothing that would warrant her being removed from the department. Normally, genin like her would have fainted at the thought of torture and execution. Aside from general signs of nervousness, the girl seemed fine.  
Ibiki allowed another slight grin to appear. This kid was a tough one to crack, apparently.

Maybe she would earn her place there after all.

"If you've got all that, we're done for to-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the basement door flew open. Naruto, who'd been so enraptured in her own thoughts, fell out of the chair she was sitting in.

"Naruto! Come here, I found what we were looking for." A familiar voice called, attracting her and Ibiki's attention.

The blonde clambered back to her feet, dusting herself off. "Later, Ibiki-sensei!"

The girl practically bolted towards the purplette standing in the doorway. She followed Anko back upstairs, where they spoke in hushed voices.

"Looks like your dad wasn't a player after all. I had to make a copy of the original, but it has your mom's name in it." Naruto practically snatched the envelope, opening it immediately.  
Her eyes read the pages, spotting the name she was searching for. _Kushina Uzumaki._

_Kushina Uzumaki._ Her mother.

She almost wanted to cry. She didn't even know why she wanted to cry, really.

The Sandaime had told her since she was a child that her parents were dead. But now, she had their names.

It felt like she at least knew them. Something of them, at least. Before, she hadn't the least idea of who they are.

But now she had their names, and that made it..

Real. It made it real.

She returned the paper to its envelope, hugging it to her chest with one arm. With her free arm, she embraced her teacher.

"Thank you, Anko-nee." She said, as her teacher patted her back.

She didn't know what she could do with this information yet, but she was thankful nonetheless. She'd been given the chance to discover her ancestry, and that was gold to her.

* * *

**_Tenten's House, the next day.._ **

* * *

"Buunnny-chan!" Naruto called, throwing open the door to the store. Tenten's dad, who'd long ago grown used to the boisterous blonde, only chuckled.

"She's in the kitchen, kid." The brunet man with the rumbling voice informed her, getting a small smile and a nod as a reply.

Naruto practically ran towards where she knew Tenten's kitchen was, hastily kicking off her sandals before entering the section of the building which Tenten's family lived in.

"Naru?" A familiar high-pitched voice called, right as Naruto turned the corner.

The brunette was making tea when the shorter girl sauntered into the steam-filled kitchen.

"I knew I heard you coming!" She said cheerfully, taking two cups out of her cabinet.

She sat them down onto her granite countertops, moving to pour tea from the bronze kettle soon after.

"Yup! So I take it we'll be training after you've had your daily dose of chamomile tea?" Naruto said, as Tenten passed her a cup.

The older girl rolled her eyes. "Yanno, you've got weird taste, Bunny. Most people prefer ginseng, or sencha, or just any kind of ryokucha.. It's unique, 'ttbayo."  
Naruto had meant the comment lightheartedly, watching the way the golden tea steamed from her cup.  
She looked up just in time to see her friend shuffle uncomfortably, her posture notably tense.

"Chamomile, it's.. Special to me."

Naruto didn't need her sensory ability to tell her that, whatever made this kind of tea so special, her friend wasn't ready to talk about it.

Tenten took in a deep breath, steadying herself. "Anywho, what's your sensei been showing you this week? Gai-sensei has been focusing on how we can predict our opponents moves in close combat, but I'm a long-range offensive fighter, so I haven't been fully devoting myself." The girl shifted the subject amicably, although there was a slight undertone of discomfort.

With a sheepish smile, Naruto decided not to prod.

"Oh yeah? If you learned to fight better close combat, you'd be way more versatile. That's a plus. Anko's been trying to get my chakra control up to par, so I can learn some ninjutsu." The girl tried to keep the excitement out of her voice at the prospect of some fancy ninjutsu to blow people away with.

Literally.

Tenten smiled softly, giving a sigh. "I wish Gai would teach us ninjutsu. But, Neji is too focused on his clan techniques, and Lee can't even use chakra like that."

"Hey! If you wanna learn, you should ask him!" Naruto suggested cheerfully. Her eyes wandered her friend's kitchen, observing the dark oak cabinets and drawers.

"Wouldn't that be insensitive, since Lee can't even use chakra? Maybe you're right, though. I'll pay more attention to his close-combat lessons." Tenten relented, looking wistfully to the side. It was another attempt to change the subject, but this time, Naruto persisted.

"Lee wouldn't care at all! I can tell you want to learn. If I knew any cool ones, I'd show you myself, but I only know one, really.." Naruto said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

Tenten's chocolate brown eyes looked up at her, her thick eyelashes batting as she blinked owlishly.

She was suddenly staring at Naruto, doing her best rendition of puppy-eyes. Gone was her attempt to appear nonchalant about wanting to learn ninjutsu. Instead, her eyes were practically begging.

"Can you show me it? Pretty please?" She all but pleaded.

Well, that was certainly a 180.

Naruto's face formed an odd, uneasy expression. "Well, it's not really cool or anything, and it strains most ninja. It's real chakra intensive, Bunny-chan.. I actually heard that it's in the forbidden scroll because of the toll it can take on your reserves."

"What is it?" Tenten asked curiously, taking a sip of her tea.

"The Shadow Clone technique. The solid one, actually. I had to learn it because I couldn't use the normal ones. They're pretty useful, but…" Naruto trailed off, sighing.

"That'd be so helpful! I could use clones to train with! And chores, and I could leave clones to run the shop, so we could hang out more! C'mon Naru, you gotta teach me!" She had her hands clasped together, her steaming tea forgotten in favor of begging.

Naruto scowled, crossing her arms. She met eyes with Tenten for a moment.

The blonde visibly deflated, finally relenting.

"Okay, okay! I'll show you, but you gotta be careful, or you could get chakra exhaustion! You'll probably only be able to summon two a day, at most!"

Her usually childish tone was suddenly comically stern, not suiting her at all.

Tenten smiled brightly, her joy quickly infecting Naruto.  
The blonde fought off a smile, trying to retain her stern expression. Raising her hands in one hand sign, she focused her chakra began culminating it outside the body.  
She felt the familiar phrase on her tongue, saying it as she brought her clones into existence.

"Shadow Clone jutsu!" She declared, calling forth two clones of her own.

Tenten watched as she did, closing her eyes tight with her hands held in the particular hand sign. Naruto also closed her eyes, activating her sensory ability with the Rat hand sign.  
She watched the blue silhouette of Tenten condense, then split. About one third of her chakra separated from the body, before forming an exact copy of Tenten's chakra silhouette.

Though, it was significantly weaker.

Both of them opened their eyes at the same time, Naruto noticing that a bead of sweat had gathered on her friend's brow.

The girl was staring at her clone with chocolate brown eyes impossibly wide.

"Naruto clone, meet Tenten clone?" The actual Naruto said, as the three clones looked at eachother.

"Yo! How's it hangin, Bunny-clone?!" One of the Narutos asked, pointing two finger guns at the bun-headed clone.

"Er, pretty good!" The clone replied.

Tenten's jaw dropped, and Naruto just watched with a deadpan expression.

"Why are my clones always so.. weird." Naruto grumbled, while Tenten's slack jawed awe turned to pure wonder.

"This is so cool! I can do so much with this, Naru! You're the best! She said, wrapping her friend in a hug.

Naruto's face turned red as the brunette squeezed her tight. Not out of embarrassment, but because the older girl was cutting off her airway.

"Can't.. Breathe..." The blonde ground out, patting her friend's back nonetheless.

Tenten released her immediately, sitting back down again. She smiled softly, "Hehe, oops, sorry about that.."

Naruto inhaled loudly, greedily sucking in depths.

"Er, maybe there's something I could teach you in return? I could show you how to use knives, or something.." The brunette tapped her chin with her index finger, mulling over options. Suddenly, Naruto turned her full attention to her. "Oh! A while ago you made that storage scroll to put your weapons in, could you show me that?" Naruto asked, suddenly very excited.

"Of course! I'll go get my spare scrolls and ink, then I can show you it. Keep in mind, even though it's basic, fuinjutsu is hard for most people to learn." The brunette said, finishing her tea.

The taller girl walked off, leaving Naruto alone in the kitchen.

The younger girl grinned, excited to learn something fuinjutsu used.

Her sensei was still working on getting fuinjutsu textbooks. The blonde already looked all over the library for it, yet there was nothing even related to the sealing arts.

Naruto finished off her own tea, before standing up to wash the cups. Cleaning the dishes was the least Naruto could do for Tenten's constant hospitality. She returned the now clean cups to the cabinet, just as Tenten came back.

"Okay, let's get started!" Said the brunette, nodding her heads towards the doorway.

Knowingly, Naruto followed as Tenten led her outside to the porch.

On the parchment, the brunette began. She arranged five arrows in a circular formation, leaving the circle blank.  
As Tenten explained, the circle was where objects would be stored. Apparently, this was the most basic form of storage scroll. Tenten then wrote several kanji on each side, labeling it as a "stasis storage seal."

Between the arrows, Tenten connected them with identical, squiggle-like lines.

"The arrows serve to direct the chakra I'll push into it, while those squiggles confine the chakra. If I used straight lines to connect them, the chakra would be able to flow in and out. Which would make it useless, because storage seals have to be stable. These lines allow my chakra to enter, but not leave."

Oddly enough, Naruto understood everything Tenten explained before and after that with ease. It was almost shocking to her, she'd had to push herself to learn most things, and it was usually excruciating.

Either Tenten was an excellent teacher, or Naruto was somehow a prodigy at seals.

Later, she would discover that truly it was the Uzumaki in her.

"Now keep in mind, fuinjutsu gets way more complicated than this as it goes on.. But, basically all seals are composed of some circle, squiggly lines, and kanji. It's the fundamentals!" Tenten said light-heartedly, chuckling as her friend mimicked her seal on a scroll of her own.

And two weeks later, Naruto would also discover that her friend's summary of fuinjutsu was completely deceitful. Those were definitely not the fundamentals, although it was certainly more complicated.

It should be criminal to summarize a complex art into such basic terms!

Or at least, that's what Naruto would think. Even so, she wouldn't be deterred.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and theres part two! This chapter is shorter, and in my opinion, not super well written. For some reason I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter. Let me know what you think!
> 
> There is some, foreshadowing,,, in this chapter. Two instances in particular are referencing the future of the story.
> 
> Next chapter we've got angst, momma drama, training, etc! I hope these chapters full of training and minor dilemmas son't bother anyone too much, because there's several more ahead.


	7. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto has a very eventful and emotional month. She does her first torture session, questions her own morality, and bonds for eternity with Tenten, as best friends forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: This chapter contains torture, violence, etc. Oh, and angst.
> 
> I've got a feeling some of you will really hate this chapter.

**_"...What was normal in the evening_ **

**_By the morning seems insane_ **

**_And I'm not sure what the trouble was_ **

**_That started all of this_ **

**_The reasons all have run away_ **

**_But the feeling never did..."_ **

* * *

Monday morning was much like every other, with Naruto rising out of bed with the same indifference of previous days.

Recently, she'd been a lot less energetic. It was hard to maintain that kind of positivity with the entire world weighing down on you. Regardless of it all, she got out of bed like every other day. She ate her instant ramen breakfast, got dressed, and went to meet her sensei at Training Ground 44. From there, she'd expected to be taken to the Hokage's Tower, and then they'd do their D-ranks, and train. However, that wasn't what she'd arrived to.

When she entered the infamous training, there sat her sensei, chewing on a stick of dango. That wasn't what caught her interest, though. Next to Anko, a large stack of books was resting.. No, not books, no, they were tomes. Her jaw fell slack, and she stared ahead at the large books.

"Oiii! Naruto, look what I found!" She said, making large gestures to showcase the dusty tomes next to her. Anko snorted when Naruto's face grew into a grimace, glaring at the stack of books.

"Oh please, they're complex fuinjutsu textbooks, don't act like you expected some pamphlet." She said, rolling her eyes. Well, no, Naruto hadn't expected a pamphlet... But a few of those textbooks were bigger than her head... by a lot...

Sitting down in front of her teacher, Naruto hefted the first book off of the stack. She dropped it onto the dirt carelessly, wiping down the cover with her hand. "How am I ever supposed to finish the books Inoichi and Hayate told me to read, get my research done, finish my weaponry book, and read these at the same time?!" She questioned, tugging the pigtails on each side of her head in exasperation.

Throwing her dango stick as if it were a senbon, Anko smiled. "Clones." She replied simply. Naruto glared at her, knowing damn well that Anko has given her that suggestion several times now. And yet, somehow Naruto never managed to remember that herself.

Sighing, her palm collided with her forehead. "Genius." She said, before summoning five clones to her side.

Each of them stared at her awaiting orders, which she soon gave.

"You, you're going to get started on practicing calligraphy. You, are gonna finish my weaponry book. You two will practice katas. Then there's you, you can read that medical book Inoichi told us to get. And I am going to get started on these." She pulled out the scrolls on her hip, one of which contained the book Inoichi recommended and the one she'd gotten from Tenten all that time ago.

Another contained parchment, ink, and brushes that Tenten had told her to get. She tossed each scroll to the clones, and a third scroll which contained her weapon to the second clone.

Considering how dunderheaded her clones usually were, Naruto was surprised they all managed to catch their respective scrolls. She wasn't exactly pleased with having to use her clones.

When she used so many, it often gave her headaches and drained her. She wasn't excited to see how terrible she'd feel after giving her clones such complex orders.

She'd probably get a rush of memories, and her mind would be all foggy and aching the rest of the day.

Thankfully, she could always sleep off that aggravating sensation. Resigning herself to future migraines, the blonde opened her textbook and began.

"Well, kid, I'll leave you to it. I've got training of my own to do, after all." Anko said, standing up abruptly. Naruto's sapphire eyes looked up at her curiously.

"You've got training to do?" The blonde asked. "Yup. I'm... Looking towards getting a promotion." She explained.

Naruto gave her a bright smile. "Cool! I bet you'll get it in no time! You could kick half the elite jounin around here into the ground." Naruto said deviously, causing Anko to give her own vulpine grin.

"Maybe now that I've got an amazing apprentice they'll bless me with a promotion." She mused, partially being truthful. Anko didn't tell Naruto that she'd long ago earned the title of Elite Jounin, but had never been officially given the title.

"Eh, it's all political! I'll see ya tomorrow, Naruto." She said, giving a two finger salute before teleporting away. Naruto merely shook her head, before continuing to read. Anko rarely used the shunshin, so Naruto concluded that she must be serious about working for promotion.

* * *

The next day was quite similar, though by the time Anko had arrived, Naruto was already working hard. She had several clone reading, running through katas, sparring, and the like.

The blonde was working up quite the sweat, doing exercises while her chakra network maintained the strain of having several clones running about.

She couldn't help but swell with pride at the sight. Naruto Uzumaki truly was something to behold.

* * *

**_ Konoha's Shinobi Library _ **

* * *

Naruto realized as she walked into the Konoha Shinobi Library, that she'd been here so many times she was beginning to memorize every inch of the place. It was a large building, so that was saying something.

With many bookshelves and large signs hanging overhead to indicate what each section was for, the shelves sprawled up the walls and up to the ceilings. If you needed a book on the higher shelves, you'd have to find one of the many ladders scattered around the building.

The white plaster walls were as inane as the navy blue carpets, and Naruto remembered why she hated libraries as a child. They were so incredibly, insanely boring if you weren't lost in some reading material.

Though, the quiet atmosphere was perfect for focusing on study or research. So, Naruto supposed the location served its purpose well. After learning of her mother's name, she'd been not-so-patiently waiting for her free day so she could come here.

She'd come a few times for short periods to scour the place for something on Kushina Uzumaki, but had found nothing of note thus far. It was disappointing, but Naruto truly wanted to believe that she would find something today. She'd feel quite upset if she didn't, but she had other things to read anyway… Other things to read which were actually a necessity, unlike her desire to read about her long-dead mother.

She started by looking in the clan section, of the "Village History" sector of the library. When nothing was found in that section, she began scouring in the area where Konoha's autobiography and biographies on powerful shinobi were tucked away. Unfortunately for Naruto, she'd found absolutely nothing there, either.

She'd even skimmed through a few of the books on kunoichi, hoping to see at least some mention of her mother. Naruto was quite desperate, in all honesty.

Her blue eyes scanned pages, glossaries, and yet she yielded no results.

After a few hours of seemingly endless searching, she'd realized that her search here was likely another dead-end. With her father, she was able to learn a lot about him. She knew he was taught by Jiraiya of the Sannin, that he was incredibly close with his three genin, he was a fuinjutsu master and a deadly shinobi.

But there was absolutely nothing about her mother. All the information she'd gained on her father had meant nothing, she could do nothing with it. She could not meet his friends, or sole-surviving student, and there was absolutely no point in trying to seek out his Sannin sensei. She'd hoped for something else in regards to her mother, but alas, life could never be that easy for her.

With a heavy heart and a sigh, Naruto resolved to move onto other more important matters. The lovely people at T had told her she'd need to learn the "tricks of the trade," which included things like poisons, the current area she should've spent that wasted time studying.

"No better time than the present." Naruto muttered, before begrudgingly opening her book on poisons and toxins. She just knew that her brain would be aching by the time she left this place.

* * *

**_ Konoha's T&I Division.. _ **

**_ GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AHEAD! _ **

* * *

Marking off another day on her calendar, Naruto welcomed Friday, her third favorite day of the week. Just two weeks ago, she did her very first interrogation for Torture and Interrogation. After the first, she'd done a second and third without complaint.

All in the very same day, of course. And since, she'd been more involved in the serious aspect of the T&I unit. Aiding in and doing her own interrogations, organizing the important paperwork, and even sitting in on her very first torture session. Frankly, she didn't even want to think about that. To many, it would sound like Naruto Uzumaki was being completely overworked. And that would be true, considering she was doing all the aforementioned things, and still doing all the menial tasks around the place as well. But she hardly minded. Naruto was, if nothing else, an extremely hard worker.

Today, she would yet again be going to the T&I office to run errands, do assorted tasks, and get into spats with her sensei's coworkers. And maybe, she'd have to make another petty criminal piss his pants. And hopefully, she wouldn't have to observe any gore today.

Unbeknownst to her, that was exactly what she'd be doing.

It would sound unpleasant to most to work at T&I, but to Naruto, it could be a lot of fun, especially when she swarmed the place with shadow clones to do her tasks.

Like a total loon, Naruto threw open the door to the T&I building with ferver. Inoichi, who was nearly slammed by the door, shot her a flower-wilting glare.

Naruto, who'd seen scarier looks from Anko and Ibiki, paid him zero mind at all.

"Oi, Naru-kun. Have you finished the books I sent you to read at the library?" Inoichi requested, fully expecting a no. The older man had told her to read five books last week, each being rather large, with information on a variety of subjects. Most notably, human anatomy, body-language, poisons, the human mind, anti-bodies, and toxins. The girl gave yet another of her 100-watt smiles.

"Of course! It turned my brain to goo reading all those, but I did it anyway. I even took notes!" Naruto said, digging out her notepad.

Inoichi blinked in surprise, as she shuffled through the notepad. As the pages flickered by, he could see glimpses of information on plants, poisons, and the like.

He couldn't help but smirk. He'd known the girl could churn through tasks, but he was surprised nonetheless. He'd actually planned to give the girl a set of books, knowing how she had to drag herself to the library to study so often.

She stuffed the mini notebook into the pouch on her hip. Gekko Hayate, having heard the conversation, walked into the lobby.

Hayate was always kind to her, so she couldn't help but smile at him as well. His ringed eyes crinkled with his own smile.

"You're awfully excited to do more chores- er, work, Naruto-kun." Said the sickly man by the name of Hayate. His voice always held a rasp, worsened by cigarettes, but caused by illness.  
In recent days, Naruto thought his voice sounded like it was getting worse.

He'd even begun having terrible coughing fits, which he was currently in the midst of.

Waiting for the man to compose himself, Naruto finally spoke. "Chores are always fun when you've got a hundred manic Naruto's running around!" She replied, smiling still.

Hayate gave her head-pat, "If you say so, kid." He walked down the hall, and Ibiki Morino entered.

"No chores for you today, Uzumaki. You're doing your first torture session. Congrats." He said dryly, his face schooled. Inoichi, being the protective, fatherly man he was, nearly dropped his coffee mug.

Hayate peeked around the corner, bagged eyes widened in disbelief. Mozuku, another T member, also peeked around another corner in concealed disbelief.

Naruto felt a bit squeamish at the thought. She'd done a few interrogations of her own before, but they never involved torture, and she was never on her own. Ibiki or Anko had always been waiting just outside, watching from the two-way mirror present in every interrogation room.

But Naruto steeled herself. She could do this. Her sensory ability could give her all the power, with her ability to detect lies and zero in on emotional responses.

She'd aided many in interrogations, because of her ability to see through deceit.

She'd even sat in for one torture session last Friday, but the entirety of the Torture and Interrogation force had coddled her after.

But she'd only done a few interrogations, and no torture sessions. Hell, hadn't even begun learning the tricks of the trade yet, her knowledge on drugs was abysmal, the best methods to gather information.

She nodded, but Inoichi placed a hand in front of her.

"Ibiki, she's too young. The kid is just 14, there's no way she can handle it."

Inoichi was speaking from literal experience, he was a master of psychology and the human mind. And he knew it was bad enough for a 12 year old to be a shinobi, let alone doing gruesome T&I work. It was better to save that for those with fully developed brains.

The Yamanaka knew as well, that Ibiki held all the power here in T&I. Inoichi might be a prominent figure in the Intelligence division as a whole, a seasoned psychiatrist, and veteran shinobi..

But when Ibiki made decisions, he was as stubborn as a mule. There would be no changing his mind.

"Stand down, Inoichi. She's seen a torture session once already, she'll be fine. You can't mother-hen the newbies forever." Ibiki replied sternly, which to many, would've been enough to make them cower in a corner.

But the members of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation force were quite aware of just how scary Ibiki could be, and this wasn't even the tip of the iceberg.

And Inoichi Yamanaka was no coward, he looked Ibiki in the eye as if he were a child.

The blond man might've been heralded throughout Konoha's Intelligence division, but _everyone_ was aware that Ibiki was top dog when it came to T and I in particular.

A certain purplette entered the lobby, witnessing the hellish atmosphere as Inoichi and Ibiki were caught in a harrowing glaring contest.

' _When an immovable object meets an unstoppable force…'_ She thought grimly, her nose scrunching up.

It seemed even the fly on the wall was halted by the thick discomfort churning in the air, the men near the point of emptying their KI on each other.

Before that could happen, though, Anko placed a hand on her student's shoulder. "C'mon kid. It's time." She said gravely, forcing the murderous glares to turn on her. Unflinching, Anko led her student towards the stairs into the basement.

She could feel Inoichi's eyes searing holes into her back, and the quiet footsteps of Ibiki behind her.

Throwing open the basement door, winding stairs were illuminated by one yellowing lightbulb, hanging from cords in the ceiling.

The entrance to the basement was intentionally terrifying, instilling fear into prisoners the moment they entered. However, Naruto had been in the basement several times before, and it no longer made her skin crawl..

Except when she thought about how haunted it could be. That, much to her chagrin, still filled her with terror. She was purely inculpable, though! Absolutely blameless in her fear!

Ghosts scare everyone, and if they say otherwise, they're lying.

Or at least, that's how Naruto saw it..

The basement nearly resembled catacombs, if it weren't for the floors made of sheet metal and the cement walls. The cement was a dark gray, with small sediments disrupting the rough surfaces.

There were six rooms on each side of the basement, which was a large rectangle, with the rooms built in. Half of these rooms were reserved for your normal interrogations, the others for torture sessions. Each of these rooms had thick metal doors, with seals engraved that prevented any form of chakra-usage.

Every one of these rooms also had a window, on their east-facing walls. That way, you couldn't see in by just entering the basement. Unless, you turned the corner, and walked up to it. On the inside, they appeared to be simply mirrors.

Naruto gulped as Ibiki stepped up beside her. In his hand, there was a thick yellow file.

"Here. This has all of the information we've gathered. It's your job to fill in the blanks."

Ibiki stalked off, to check in on the other interrogations. With a deep breath, Naruto flipped open the first page.

Naruto tried to ignore the strong scent of cleaner, nearly masking a light odor of iron as she began reading.

* * *

" _Taro, a man planted in Konoha for at least the last decade. Under the guise of a civilian, he entered Konoha and quickly made friends. He made connections with both civilians and shinobi, even starting a family. After having three children with a civilian woman, Victim #1104 (First Name Tsubaki, Last Name Ryu) He was observed as a content and happy man by those around him._

_This image was shattered when 1104 intercepted a letter intended for Taro. Friends of 1104 shared that the victim was of the belief that Taro had a mistress. The contents of this letter are unknown, but surely grave, as Taro murdered his entire family after 1104 opened the letter. The letter was reportedly reduced to ash by the time ANBU arrived on the scene. ANBU nearby and neighbours both reported hearing screams, and crying children, which is what had gotten ANBU attention before the police force could arrive._

_Taro was detained upon the discovery of three corpses, belonging to Victim 1104, Victim 1114, (First Name Makai, Last Name Ryu) and Victim 1124 (First name Mako, Last Name Ryu.)_

_It is of the belief of ANBU operatives on the scene that 'Taro' is a spy, planted to observe the economic stance of Konohagakure, in regards to both civilians and shinobi. There is no foreseeable other explanation for his actions. Additionally, 'Taro' said that, "he would never crack, no Yamanaka could get in his mind," when arrested. His brain is protected by seals, which would destroy his mind if any Yamanaka attempted to use their mind-techniques. Additionally, 'Taro' is observed as having a sociopathic personality type. Regard any information with caution, and do not allow him to press your buttons."_

* * *

By simply reading the report, Naruto knew that this guy was no small fry. He was nothing like the others.

She swallowed her anxiety, taking in another deep breath. The reality of this case wasn't only terrifying, but rage-inducing as well. Not only had the man murdered innocents, but he'd infiltrated their village and walked amongst them for ages. The thought of that alone made Naruto feel slightly paranoid.

' _There could be spies anywhere, huh?'_ She thought to herself, uneasily.

There was no time to waste, Naruto realized. Her cheery mood had long since disappeared, and now it was time to do actual work. Sticking the file under her arm, she straightened herself and schooled her features.

She couldn't walk into this looking vulnerable, otherwise this man would get under skin, and she'd get nothing from him. Naruto knew she could not fail this, even though it wasn't a mission. It was a matter of justice, not to mention that it was her first attempt at torturing information out of someone.

Walking towards the third torture chamber in the basement, the blonde turned the knob, throwing the door open with confidence.

In the cement rooms, bright lights hung overhead, illuminating the center of the room. Directly under the light, a bound man was tied to a metallic chair.

His hands were strapped to the arms of the chair, while his legs were also strapped. His eyes were blindfolded, but he was smirking nonetheless. Naruto had seen a few prisoners who attempted to look confident, or threatening in this position. But somehow, the hairs on the back of her neck stood anyway. Shaking away her fear, the blonde kicked the door shut behind her.

This man was trying to intimidate her already, and she wouldn't allow him to succeed.

"Taro, was it?" She asked, intentionally making her voice sound low and smooth, like honey. For someone with a natural rasp to her voice, it was certainly a feat.

He chuckled dryly, "Oh, did they send in a girl this time? Tch." He shook his head in disbelief, bringing his wet hair to Naruto's attention.

' _Probably got waterboarded by Hayate earlier.'_ She thought, noting that Hayate was the one he used Torture Chamber #3 most often. That would mean Hayate wrote the report, as well.

"Does that bother you?" She asked, prepping the room. Ibiki had demonstrated set-up to her several times, and she knew it by heart. She intentionally made noise, slowly removing the poisons T supplied from the briefcase which contained them.

Setting them down on a silver tray, she then began taking out the tools.

"No, no. Not at all. I'd love to have some eye-candy. I just think it's funny that they think a little girl could crack me, when a grown man couldn't." He said, causing Naruto to roll her eyes.

Misogyny wasn't something that could really get under her skin at this point.

"Well, Taro, I suppose we should get started." Despite her even tone, Naruto wasn't quite as stoic as she sounded.

She was nervous, but she couldn't afford a blunder right now.  
Roughly tugging the blindfold from his eyes, the man squinted at the sudden brightness. She kept a smile on her face, her eyes frigid as she stared down at him.

"Ha! You're a kid! That's just rich, seems Konoha is running low on adult shinobi. How pathetic." The man grumbled.

"Is it different where you're from?" She asked sweetly, as she went back to laying out her tools.

He merely snorted, watching as the girl laid out pliers, a box cutter, and a taser.

Picking up the taser, the girl stood in front of him. "Now, why don't you tell me what you're here for?" She asked, moreso demanded, causing Taro's face to darken.

Her heart thumped in her from it's place within her ribcage, knowing she couldn't simply wave around a taser and make him talk.

Noticing how he stayed quiet, she swallowed her fear, pushing her chakra into the taser. The taser filled on her energy, it powered on, making a loud buzzing noise.

"You already know." He said, narrowing his eyes. In the moment, Naruto decided not to show any mercy. After all, that was one of the main principles Ibiki had taught her in the past. She immediately connected it with his shoulder, causing his body to shake with tremors.

She felt no guilt, until she realized she was feeling no guilt. Then, she'd began feeling guilt purely over the fact that she was so apathetic towards this man.

Now that she'd stopped tasing him, the man gave a dark smirk, before retelling the exact story written in the to the letter, he retold the story. Except, he included many crude details and curse-words.

Normally, this sort of thing wouldn't bother Naruto, except for when he got the part about the _children._

"And Mako, that brat, I don't even think she was mine. That just made it easier to kill her, though. She watched with those big, yellow eyes as I killed her mother. Oh, and her brother too." He paused again, letting the words sink in to Naruto, like a venomous snake biting into a rabbit.

Unknown to him, Naruto was not any kind of prey.

She clenched her jaw, something he noticed right away. He opted to continue, with even more detail. "You should've seen how she started crying when she saw Kai's brains spill on the floor. She screamed, 'Daddy, you hurt him.'" He made a childlike voice, imitating his dead daughter.

"Over, and over again. I couldn't help but bash her head in next. Did they include that she was clutching her favorite bear when she died? It's ironic, really, since I'm the one who got her that stupid fucking bear."

Naruto's fist was clenched at her side, shaking with rage.

'Taro' had known he was in the hands of T , and he'd heard of how Konoha's T&I force was notable for their viciousness. However, he'd believed that he'd gotten lucky with easy interrogators. He was tortured by a sickly man and a little girl, so he wasn't fearful at all. He expected that they'd just put him to execution soon, because he wasn't important enough to be under Ibiki. He'd mistaken them all for fools, thinking that they hadn't known about his status as a spy.

So imagine his surprise, when the fist of the little girl, whom he'd deemed as no threat, slammed into his nose. A loud crack broke the silence that had settled, his nasal bones shattering. The sheer force of the fist had crushed his nasal bone, and cracked his temporal bone. If the punch had been any harder, it surely would've killed him.

That alone had terrified him, as he'd assumed that T in Konoha couldn't use lethal force, or just straight up beat their subjects. Clearly, he'd been wrong to underestimate the little girl- no, the shinobi- in front of him.

But that wasn't what truly terrified him.

The girl, who was now holding him by the collar of his shirt, was the true source of his terror.

She released her KI, which bordered on demonic. He'd have been in disbelief, if he weren't so horrified.

Lost were her crystal blue eyes, instead, there were two crimson irises in their place. Those peculiar whisker marks on each cheek were thicker, nearly protruding from her skin. The flaxen bangs which framed her face looked raggedy, and her snarled lips revealed razor-sharp canines.

"D-demon! No, y-you're some kind of monster!" He managed to mutter, to which she growled.

" ** _Demon, maybe. Monster? You're more of a monster than I'll ever be."_** Her once smooth voice was now a deep rumble, spoken from the lowest sector of her throat. It was purely animalistic, and absolutely ghastly.

Lifting a clawed finger, which she inspected with her red eyes, she slowly brought the sharpened fingernail to his jugular. Poking his skin just barely, a small bead of burgundy colored blood ran down his neck.

" ** _You will tell me everything, or I will ensure the rest of your life is spent in utmost agony. I will begin by peeling off your skin, with my own nails. Once every inch of your epidermis is gone, I suppose I'll move on to severing your muscles."_** Naruto had long since lost any semblance of her empathy, overwhelmed by the rage-filled youkai of the demon within her.

She wasn't even thinking, aside from the pure desire to hurt him. Despite her objective, a darker part of her almost wanted him to be defiant.

The man gulped, quivering in her gasp. Her eyes followed the small trail of crimson, which had gone dry at his collarbone. At that moment, Taro realized that he was no snake, and she was no rabbit. This girl was beyond that, she was an apex predator, and he was quite literally grasped within her claws.

With hopes that he would be given a merciful death in exchange for whatever this girl had planned, 'Taro' retold his tale.

This time, with nothing excluded.

"I'm a s-spy! From Kusa, I was hired by another village for a long-term infiltration mission, which worked in the i-interests of both Kusa and their village." He practically bawled, under a scrutinizing red-eyed glare.

" ** _What village hired you?"_** She demanded impatiently.

"I c-can't remember, it was years ago!" He said quickly, petrified at how the girl seemed to notice he was lying instantly.

Which, thanks to her sensory ability, she had.

In a gruesome show of callousness, she dragged one of her nails along his skin, tearing his flesh. Naruto was too high on her endorphins, rage, and adrenaline to even notice how she was acting. The demonic chakra, fueled by negative emotions, was pumping through her tenketsu, barely contained within.

It made her more aggressive than ever, more apathetic, more.. Hateful- Sadistic, even.

" ** _Liar… Who. Hired. You."_** She didn't even take notice of the tears flowing from his eyes, a stark contrast from the overly confident man he'd been moments ago. Instead of a trained spy, the man before her looked more like a pathetic child.

"O-Otogakure! But that was years ago, Kusa severed ties with them! I don't know anything about them, except that they're a s-shinobi village! In the Land of Rice Paddies!" He spat the words like fire from his tongue, wriggling in the metal chair he was strapped to.

" ** _An unallied, new shinobi village hiring another shinobi village.. For an infiltration mission.."_** The blonde mused incredulously, her glowering eyes narrowed at him.

By now, the man was in literal hysterics. Never in his life had he felt so threatened by another person. 'Taro' had been the best infiltration specialist in all of Kusa, an excellent spy, an incredible fighter, and a master of his trade. An elite jounin.

And here he was, trembling before a 14 year old girl with pigtails.

It was an incredibly humbling experience, considering how high of a regard Taro had held himself to. A superiority complex wouldn't have begun to cover how self-inflated his ego was. If Taro had lived past that day, he probably would've been traumatized for life.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, he wouldn't.

" ** _What was your purpose in this mission?"_** The blonde jinchuriki questioned, still leaking potent KI into the air. Her KI was its own unique travesty, a dark sensation which made the blood rush to your ears and overhaul your heart with a burning sensation, causing images of your imminent doom to fill your mind.

"T-to study the happenings of Konoha! Economics, Up and Coming Shinobi, Clan drama, Politics, a-anything of note, really!"

" ** _And have you been exchanging information with Kusa in these regards? Or are you a sleeper agent?"_** She asked, tilting her head.

"Every six months, via letters carried by my s-summons." Seeing as the girl said nothing, he further elaborated. "I-I'm a holder of the H-Hawk S-summoning contract, the only one. They delivered my letters out of Konoha i-inconspicuously."

Naruto's quest for information momentarily faltered, knowing well that summoning contracts were a rarity in the ninja world.

A rather disgusting thought grasped her mind, to which Naruto had a sudden idea. Summonings were rare, and although she had no interests in the hawks, it would certainly be a boon worthy of taking.

Somehow, the man caught her train of thought.

"If you w-want it, you can have it, as long as you leave me the hell alone! The Hawks are a prideful, moral bunch, so they'll likely never accept you as their summoner anyway!" He said, somehow mustering the courage to take a drag at her in the same sentence as he pleaded to be left alone.

It was almost humorous, really.

"Y-you can find it in the safe, directly under the bed, beneath the f-floorboards. I've told you everything, just get away from me!" He screamed, to which Naruto decided to comply. She stepped back slowly, glancing at the bleeding wound she'd made with her own nails.

She'd sensed zero deceit in his last words, and opted to walk out the door for a break. If she had to deal with that sniveling man any longer, she'd probably blow a gasket.

Slowly walking out, she could hear the man sniffling as she left him behind. The moment she stepped out, two strong arms wrapped around her. A light floral perfume assaulted her nostrils in the most pleasant way, one she recognized as belonging to Anko.

The woman squeezed Naruto in a hug, pride radiating from her.

With the influx of mind-numbing chemicals in her brain finally reaching a halt, Naruto quickly came back down to Earth. It was as if the gravity of what she'd done actually hit her, and she suddenly felt incredibly queasy.

Thankfully, she had just enough calm left in her to make a brave face.

Ibiki and Inoichi, who'd watched the entire time, flanked both sides of her.

"Well done, Naru-kun." Inoichi said, tussling her hair as she took in steadying breaths. Ibiki grunted in approval, his own calloused hand resting on her shoulder.

"I think congratulations are in order." Morino said, clearing his throat loudly.

Naruto's world seemed very mute all of sudden, lacking the brightness and colorfulness she was used to. She found herself hardly capable of listening to those around her, caught wondering if this was the effect of truly losing your naivety, your innocence, even.

She knew it was her job, her duty. But that didn't make the reality any less harsh. She'd just tortured a man, interrogated him. And she'd used Kyuubi's power to do it!

A chill ran through her veins at the thought, and she quickly came to the verdict that she'd only ever use that power if absolutely necessary.

That kind of power.. It was, blinding, to say the least. If she relied heavily on that stuff, she had no doubt in her mind she'd become addicted. And if she was addicted to that, the Nine-Tails would easily consume her body and mind.

That was something she could never allow.

"Well, Naruto Uzumaki, you are hereby an official member of the Intelligence Divison, placed in the Torture and Interrogation unit, under leadership of one Morino Ibiki. Congratulations, Genin Uzumaki. You've just accomplished something that few shinobi can." Inoichi said, with a warm smile she'd never once seen dawned on his features. If she had to call it something, Naruto would've called that kind of smile fatherly. His speech was formal, but laced with pride in her.

Despite her sour, introspective mood, Naruto couldn't help but beam at him.

Ibiki, who'd been standing to the left, abruptly shoved something into her arms.

Naruto's eyes grew starry at the sight, gasping audibly. In her hands, a trench coat made of fine, onyx leather. The interior was a burnt orange silk, clearly custom made for her. The inside had several hidden pouches, pockets, and scroll-loops.

Her blue eyes flickered from the jacket, to Ibiki, to the jacket once again. Anko was hardly keeping in her giggles, as were the two newest spectators standing behind her. Yugao Uzuki, and her boyfriend Hayate Gekko were standing behind her, exchanging amused glances in disbelief.

Ibiki, who'd actually looked slightly flustered in that moment, couldn't even make eye-contact with the blonde. Slowly pulling open the satchel which Naruto had left behind when she'd entered the T building, Anko took out the camera she'd given the blonde.

And just in time, too.

Naruto dawned the trench-coat, something that held significant meaning to every serious member of T . Not everyone chose to wear theirs, instead opting to keep them at home, but some did. And judging by the stars in Naruto's eyes, she'd be wearing hers.

This was further cemented by what she proceeded to scream, "I SWEAR I'LL NEVER EVER TAKE THIS OFF, IBIKI-SENSEI!" She said.

Then? Well, Anko had just enough time to snap a picture of the next scene.

Naruto leapt into Ibiki's arms, something which no one except her would've ever dared to do. By now, half of T had gathered just in time to see Ibiki getting damn-near tackled by the small blonde.

Anko snapped yet another picture, perfectly timed to capture something so rarely seen it could be a national treasure. Morino Ibiki, smiling as he caught a small blonde in his arms.

The members of T stared in shock at the image, looking up to see Ibiki as stoic as ever, a blonde being held at a distance in his arms.

It didn't take a genius to see the fondness in his eyes.

An unspoken agreement was made, and the photo passed to Yugao, who shunshinned away to make copies of the image without the knowledge of the two subjects.

Naruto, who had cartoonish tears of gratitude streaming down her cheeks, was quite literally trying to assault the man with a hug. Something he was not keen on accepting, not at all.

Inoichi took hold of the girl's coat collar, pulling her away. "I have a gift for you too, kid." He nearly grumbled, clearly perturbed that he'd been forgotten.

"Eh?!" She asked, turning to him in surprise. Dropping the girl back onto her feet, Inoichi took out a scroll. Unsealing it quickly, three moderately sized books dropped onto his open hand.

"Psychology, poison, and human biology. I know you've been struggling to find the right books from the library, so I got you these myself. The poison one is intended for jounin, while the psychology and biology books are intended for doctors and med-nin. They'll help you advance quickly, so be sure to read them well. Come to me if you have any questions." The blond man said, and this time Naruto gave a much less forceful hug, instead opting to run at him rather than leap.

Inoichi gave a hearty laugh as he caught the girl, glad she'd been so happy with their gifts. He'd always had a love for kids, and it helped that Naruto was a similar age to his own daughter. Though, Naruto was a kid he could empathize with a lot more and also a co-worked, whereas Ino was his pride and joy and his own kin.

"You guys are the best, 'ttebayo!" The girl practically cried out.

Anko tousled her hair, "You've got the rest of the day off, kiddo. Go home and relax." The purplette instructed, causing Naruto to give a hesitant nod.

"Okay, I'll see you guys next week. Stay awesome, 'ttebane." She said, as Inoichi handed her the scroll of books.

* * *

Soon after that, Naruto went on her merry way home.

Her new trenchcoat billowed behind her, making her look much more intimidating than she was. In a passing thought, Naruto realized she'd have to get a short-sleeves shirt to wear under it. It was far too warm in Konohagakure to wear long-sleeves and a trenchcoat in the early summertime.

Oddly enough, Naruto had once again fallen into an odd mood. Her blue eyes focused on the passing clouds overhead, like puffs of fluffy white cotton. She nearly ignored two exuberant presences nearing her, despite the distinct feel of their chakra.

" **LEE, IS THAT THE ONE AND ONLY NARUTO-KUN I SEE?!** " A very peculiar man in green spandex asked loudly.

With an equally loud reply, another peculiar boy replied. " **YES GAI-SENSEI! I WOULD RECOGNIZE THOSE BLONDE PIGTAILS ANYWHERE**!"

By now, Naruto had dawned a comically pained expression. Her narrowed eyes stared at them from her peripherals as they practically charged at her.

They stopped suddenly, skirting to a halt and causing an enormous dust cloud to form around them.

" **HELLO THERE, YOUNG NARUTO!** " Gai greeted bombastically.

She sighed, turning around. Even if the two were painfully odd, Naruto could at least respect them for both their hard-work, and how amusing they were. Naruto couldn't lie, their attitudes and flair for the dramatic were infectious.

Opting to be polite, Naruto gave her own greeting. "Yo, Gai-sensei, Lee! Good to see you!"

An audible ping came when Gai gave his own million ryo smile, and Naruto fought the urge to snort at his obscenely bright teeth.

"Naruto-kun, it is a pleasure! I must ask, what is the reason for your peculiar state of dress today?" Lee asked, pointing a finger at her jacket.

She.. was dressing peculiarly..? She quirked a blonde brow at that, opting not to comment on that remark.

"So glad you asked, Lee." She said, flipping her hair over her shoulder in a show of faux-confidence. She didn't realize it then, but she was definitely becoming more like Anko.  
"I got promoted to an official member of the T unit today!" She finished.

"HOW AMAZING, THE FLAMES OF YOUR YOUTH BURN BRIGHTLY ENOUGH TO BRING A PROMOTION! I APPLAUD YOU, NARUTO-KUN!" Lee said, pumping his fist excitedly.

Naruto's rapturous smile only grew brighter, radiating joy. She'd been quite overjoyed at her promotion, but she'd also been quite the sucker for compliments. It brought back her happy mood quickly.

"I HAVE TO AGREE WITH LEE! NARUTO-KUN, ALLOW ME TO TREAT YOU AND LEE TO LUNCH, THEN WE MAY RUN A DOZEN CELEBRATORY LAPS AROUND THE VILLAGE ON OUR HANDS IN YOUR HONOR!"

* * *

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle, before realizing that Gai was completely serious.

When Naruto reluctantly agreed to spend the rest of her evening with Lee and Gai, she truly hadn't expected it to be so much fun.

Gai nor Lee believed in doing things in conventional ways, which was one of Naruto's own traits. So obviously, what should've been a leisurely afternoon quickly became… Well, something else entirely.

Somehow, those two had managed to make a walk around the village into some fun, "hot-blooded," competition.

They ran across roof-tops swiftly, Naruto barely keeping up while Gai held himself back substantially. They reached the end of the road, or rather, the end of connected roofs, with an alley below them forming a gap between this roof and the next.

Lee leapt from the rooftop, landing upright before continuing his sprint on the beaten ground, spinning dust into the air. Naruto, spotting a line of balconies just below, decided to get creative.

Gai opted to do a 360 degree flip in the air, flying over the gap, before landing upright on the next roof with zero hesitance.

Naruto dropped from the roofs onto one of the many balconies in a line, terrifying a docile feline that was resting on the banister.

Vaulting herself over the railing of that balcony, she landed on the next.

Using chakra enhanced leaps, she hopped from one balcony to the next, disgruntling many citizens as she ran along, while also attracting plenty of attention.

Gai laughed exuberantly as Lee and Naruto ran with bright grins. He could see that both of them were sweating, and slightly red-faced, but they were absolutely joyous. In that moment, Gai truly felt he was witnessing the pinnacle of Youth.

And meanwhile, on the ground...

Team Seven was finishing up yet another D-Rank, when three obnoxious shinobi began racing towards, by, and ahead of them.

The genin paid them hardly no mind at first, aside from curiosity from Sai and Sakura, and annoyance from Sasuke. He had only rolled his eyes, while Sakura furrowed her brows.

Sai wondered if that was what friendly competition looked like.

and Kakashi? Well... Watching a girl with familiar blonde hair race by in a blur was enough to make him shake his head in surprise. Closing his perverted orange book to spectate, he recognized the blonde immediately.  
It was his sensei's daughter. He'd felt a pang of guilt, despite how happy she looked in that moment.

Flanking each side of her, was his own... "Rival" and his rival's prized student. He truly wondered what Naruto was doing with Gai and Lee. Most were too uncomfortable with the pair to even tread in their direction.

Upon further thought, he remembered hearing rumors of the "demon child" getting an apprenticeship. He hadn't been listening to that conversation very intently, so he hadn't heard the details.

He lamented not paying closer attention to the girl, noting to himself that he didn't even know who the girl's sensei was.

The silver-haired jounin watched the girl run across balconies, the tail of her coat flying in the air behind her.

Kakashi had known that T members wore those almost exclusively, but surely Naruto hadn't taken that path. Given how well he knew her parents, it was nigh impossible to believe that their offspring could actually commit to a career like that. Both Kushina and Minato were incredibly soft-hearted, though Minato was also pragmatic, he wouldn't have been capable of dedicating himself to that particular career either. It was a funny thought, really. They were both powerful shinobi capable of killing, but would never consider torture. He understood well, as he had doubts whether he could stomach such a thing either. He had enough guilt on his conscience as it was.

The blonde vaulted herself over the railing of yet another balcony, soaring in the air triumphantly right before landing yet again.

Instead of fighting against the momentum, she skirted across the flooring of the final balcony. He felt a lump form in his throat as she skidded along, Naruto couldn't stop if she wanted to.

Kakashi actually found himself perturbed by how unbothered she looked by her impending injury. If she kept up with that momentum, she would fly directly into the banister and hurt herself badly.

Gai nor Lee seemed at all concerned, and he learned why a moment later.

He was on the verge of stepping in, when Naruto suddenly used chakra to push herself into the air, flying over the railing just before she would have collided with it. That alone was an impressive feat, showing skill in evasion.

In a swift show of physical prowess and foresight, the blonde back-flipped while still in the air. On each side of her, her two companions stopped to watch. The two of them were both already on the ground, their heads craned upwards to stare.

Kakashi felt like everything around him was in slow motion, watching his sensei's 13 year old daughter so high up in the air, with only the hard ground to break her fall.

She was at least four stories up, which would be nothing for a seasoned jounin. But for a newbie genin..?

Instead of aiming her feet for the ground, Naruto ended her flip with her hands facing the ground.

Collective gasps broke out, the nearby civilians believing that she had failed the landing and was crashing to her death. Even his own genin looked surprised (Sasuke), intrigued (Sai), and fearful. (Sakura.)

His lone eye widened imperceptibly, when the blonde somehow managed to perfectly stick the landing, on her hands. Without so much as a blink, the blonde performed a front handspring, transitioning that into a double-cartwheel before landing upon her feet yet again.

Both of them cheered loudly for her, along with a few civilians laughing in good faith at the show. The jounin and his student made various huzzahs and praised her, before it became clear to Kakashi that they must be friends.

That was further cemented when the three walked into a curry shop together, leaving Kakashi with a nagging feeling of regret.

It dawned on him then the gravity of what he'd done. He'd never, not once in her entire 13 years, spoke a word to Naruto Uzumaki. He'd only seen her in passing, never visiting or anything of the sort. He'd left his sensei's daughter to her own devices.

Yet somehow, she seemed to be flourishing.

That was both disconcerting and comforting at the same time.

* * *

**_ Tenten's House, Konohagakure…. _ **

* * *

Naruto, for what felt like the hundredth time since they'd met, had spent her day with Tenten. She'd visited the day before, on Saturday,only for a short time so that they could train together.

Due to her pensive mood, she'd left quickly and spent the rest of her day thinking at home.

Today however, she'd stuck around. She'd thought that she'd gathered herself enough to stay longer. The events of Friday had been plaguing her mind, as did the issues with her parents and the pressure of getting stronger and learning so many things at once.

Their Sunday morning passed like most of their time together. They'd started with a spar, then spent some time chatting and snacking on the tatami mats on her back porch.

Not to say that the girls didn't enjoy their little routine. They always rushed to see each other, meeting in early mornings and hanging out when either of them had extra time outside of their designated Saturdays. It had been nearly two months since they'd met, and the two felt like they'd known each other for many lifetimes.

Tenten snorted at Naruto's crude sense of humor, and would always egg her on despite her allegedly being a, "goody two-shoes," according to Naruto. It was a harmonious friendship, their kindness towards each other, their fun-loving ways, etc.

Though, Naruto had changed recently. Tenten had noticed, hell, everyone could have.

And although Naruto had changed, she was always the same around Tenten. Except for today. Naruto kept glancing over her shoulders, her arms remained crossed defensively, and her posture stiff. It worried Tenten greatly, and despite the current good mood, she knew she had to ask.

The weapon's mistress knew her bestfriend's schedule like the back of her hand, and she knew that Naruto spent her Fridays at the Torture and Interrogation division.

Normally, the blonde would tell her all about what she did at the office. She'd detail the horrible criminals that she had to question, she'd groan about running errands, she'd tell her about funny spats.. But today? Nothing. And Tenten just knew that there had to be some reason. She hadn't even mentioned it yesterday, either.

The mirth in the brunette's face dimmed when she finally worked up the nerve to ask about how her new apprenticeship in T was going.

"So, er, Naru-chan.. You've been kinda off today. What happened?" She asked gently, her naturally caring personality shining through.

Naruto grimaced. She didn't want to tell Tenten about the horrible things she'd done to that man, even if it was her job. The guilt had set in late last night, when she was laying awake and unable to sleep.

Of course, there were about a hundred other things weighing on her as well.

But she knew better than to believe Tenten would just let her get away without venting. The brunette's soft heart could make her a pushover at times, but, when it came to her friends, she could also be frighteningly stern.

The blonde's head dropped, staring down the floorboards. "If I tell ya, you'll be disgusted with me, Bunny." Naruto said softly. There were two reasons Naruto believed this, but she only intended to tell one of them. She was open discussing the things she'd done at T … But she certainly wasn't comfortable with including how she'd drawn on the Kyuubi's power.

"I would never. What's bothering you?" She asked, melodic voice stern and soft.

"I did my first torture session yesterday. I- I succeeded, and got what we needed to know. He was a spy, for Kusa, here to keep his eye on our village.. But, he was horrible. And- And because he was so damn disgusting, I didn't even feel bad! I broke his nose without even thinking, and-" Blue eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and the girl went quiet suddenly.

"He was terrible. He killed his whole family, and I don't feel bad for torturing him over it. But I should, right? What I did, it was _wrong.._."

Two hands rested on her shoulders, compassion flooding and rushing into Naruto.

"Naruto, that doesn't disgust me at all. Why would it? And even if it wasn't a pretty thing to do… You had to. It's your job, to protect the village and extract information."

Tenten paused, seeing as how her friend didn't seem swayed. She knew that if she threw in some personal experiences, Naruto would truly understand.

"You know that-.. That I've killed before, right? Last year, during my team's first try at the Chuunin exams, I had to kill another genin. Are you disgusted with me for that? Was it wrong that I did what I had to?" She asked, her brown eyebrows furrowed in determination.

Tenten remembered how that sensation, snuffing out a life, felt- almost like it was yesterday. It was bone-chilling. The way that Lee stared at her afterwards made it even harder, like he was afraid she would crumble, but also terrified she would lash out.

Needless to say, it had been a hard couple of months after that. Which was why Gai hadn't recommended them again after, and was looking to enter them again now, a year later- though that wasn't very important right now.

She didn't wallow in her self-loathing forever, and she wouldn't let Naruto, either. Even if the scenarios were different, Tenten knew they were both actions that were just part of their job as shinobi.

Naruto looked up at her as if the mere suggestion of her finding disgust in Tenten was preposterous. And to Naru, it truly was.

"No, of course not!" Naruto said, her sclera tinted with pink as tears finally dropped from her eyes.

"Then why would I think that of you? You say you don't feel bad for hurting him, and maybe you don't, but you do feel bad for the actions you committed. But you needed to, it's your job. He did what he did fully knowing that there would be punishment, and that punishment came in the form of whatever you did to him." Tenten kept her soothing words vague, not knowing the context of the situation. In truth, she didn't know much at all regarding the situation.

Naruto sighed in relief, finally letting her friend's words sink in. "Y-yeah. You're right. Thanks, Bunny." Her sapphire eyes seemed to twinkle with the unshed tears, as the girl gathered herself again. She didn't have the heart to argue with the brunette, or reveal the entire truth of why she felt so horrible.

The blonde girl's cheeks flustered, and she looked askance when she spoke again. "You're my best friend, 'ttbayo. I'm really lucky to have you.. Ya know, these past few months have really changed me. I- Since I've become a ninja.. I guess I've learned a lot of cruel truths. It kinda sucks, but.. If I hadn't taken the path I did, I'd probably never have befriended you, or even met Anko-nee." Naruto had a great understanding of emotions, but much like her surrogate older sister, she wasn't great at expressing them.

Tenten smiled at her, and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

"You know, Naru.. You're the only best-friend I've ever had. You're actually the first girl I've ever even made friends with me. Back in school, none of the other girls really liked me. They thought I was weird." Tenten admitted, still holding firmly onto the blonde.

Naruto snorted loudly.

"Heh, you're definitely a weirdo. But it's cool, 'cuz I'm a weirdo too. So is Anko-nee, and Lee too. We're all weirdos. It's great, huh?"

Tenten couldn't help but laugh, and laugh she did.

"Great? It's like, a disease! We've all got weirdo-itis." Tenten said, rolling her eyes mirthfully. "Pfft, it sucks it's not contagious. If it was, there'd be way more cool people around here." Naruto said softly. Due to their close proximity, Tenten heard, only humming in response.

"Say! You should come to train with Anko-sensei and me tomorrow! She'd love to meet you. She's kinda crazy, but you'll love her, dattebayo!" Naruto's blue eyes filled with hope and excitement, quelling any of Tenten's desire to decline.

You just can't say no to puppy-eyes like those! It's impossible!

"Okay, okay. You guys meet at Training Ground 44, right?"

"Yup, you better be there!"

A series of shutter noises snapped Naruto and Tenten out of their conversation, noticing that Naruto was still within the older girl's embrace.

Looking up to see the source of the noise, the two girls saw Tenten's grandmother…. Holding Naruto's analog camera, with three fresh pictures of the two girls.

"How adorable you two are!" Her grandmother cooed, looking at the pictures.

Tenten's face turned bright red, as she snatched away one of the pictures. "Oba-chan! You're embarrassing me in front of Naru again!" She whined, inspecting the picture.

It was her and Naruto with their arms wrapped around each other.

The one which Naruto snatched had them smiling brightly, while Tenten laughed. The other, the final picture, was taken just as they noticed the noises. They were both looking in the direction of the camera with soft smiles, having not yet realized the source of the noise. They both still had one arm around the other, making for the perfect photo.

"These are great, I'm totally keeping this one!" Naruto cheered, causing Tenten to groan. "Well, then I'm keeping this one!" Tenten said, holding the picture close to her chest.

"This one is going on the wall!" Tenten's grandma said, running away to frame the perfect photo.

Naruto expelled a sigh of contentment, unabashedly happy. When she was with Tenten or Anko, life just seemed so much clearer. So much easier, brighter. But there was so much internal turmoil, that even her time with them was becoming a bit convoluted with her more negative feelings.

She'd just connected with her friend even deeper, affirming her trust in Tenten. She knew that Tenten was her best friend already, but that interaction really cemented it. The blonde knew there was more weighing on her than just that, which was what had caused her to break down like that.

With her grandmother gone, Tenten quickly took notice of how her friend had become solemn once again. "That wasn't just it, was it?" The girl asked, her voice soft.

The brunette observed how her friends sniffled, her cheeks still moist with tear trails.

"There's so much.." The blonde muttered, one of her hands resting over her heart, the photo still clutched in it.

Naruto had recently discovered that she hated feeling vulnerable like this. Wearing her emotions on her sleeve, it made her feel weak. Subconsciously, that was one of the other reasons she always faked being happy. Because, to her, being seen as anything else would've been embarrassing, pathetic- even weak.

It didn't help that her feelings had been so easily used to manipulate her, by the damned Hokage.

She still wasn't sure how to feel about _that._ It made her way to openly show her emotions, something which used to be her first nature response.

But here with Tenten? She trusted her wholeheartedly. She could show her feelings with no hesitance at all, if she wanted to. The same with Anko, though, that was a given.

"Hey, why don't we go over to your apartment? Then we talk about everything in private, with no pesky grandmas to bother us." Although the brunette attempted to add some humor into her proposition, it was clearly wrought out of concern.

"Y-yeah. We can order cheap delivery food, and we can just- We can just spill our guts, ttebane. And then stuff our faces, and eat all of our feelings." Naruto said, nodding to herself.

Tenten chuckled dryly, "I'll go get my sleepover bag. Wait right here."

_Naruto's Apartment_

When the pair arrived at Naruto's apartment, they'd both tried to be as nonchalant as possible. They'd kicked off their sandals, changed into pajamas.

They'd even made a makeshift bed on the living room floor, just as they had last time.

It was tense all the while, even regardless of that. Even when Naruto was raving about the ramen place she'd sent her clone to place an order at, there was an underlying tension. That was, until Tenten finally broke the silence.

"So, I know whatever it is that's bothering you has to be important. More important than torturing someone. You don't have to tell me-"

Naruto interrupted, waving her hands. "It's not that, I just- It's kind of hard to believe. I don't want you to think I'm lying or something."  
Naruto said, albeit excluding one major piece of the secrets she needed to confess.

She'd had so many things weighing on her, since she'd become a genin and after. From her parentage, the Hokage subtly attempting to manipulate her, to the fucking Kyuubi.

All of which were things she felt like she needed to tell Tenten.

"I trust you, Naruto. What is it?" She asked gravely.

The blonde swallowed her nervousness.. "You know I'm an orphan, right?" She asked calmly.

Tenten merely nodded, prompting the whiskered girl to continue. "I.. I found out who my parents were, and I don't really know what to do now." She said, tucking a strand of flaxen hair behind her ear.

"I eventually got an idea of who they were. My dad, actually. He's, well, he's famous. And when I talked to the Hokage about it, my sensory ability activated. And… He lied to me, Bunny. He tried to deny who my dad is, but my bloodline told it all.."Tenten's breathing hitched at the implications.

Famous?

"What did you mean by he's famous?" She asked softly.

"My dad.. I don't know any way to put it, so I'll just come out and say it. The fucking Yondaime was my dad." Naruto declared, making Tenten's mouth gape.

Her chocolate eyes immediately noticed the resemblance- That electric yellow hair, and the cerulean eyes. She'd seen pictures of the Yondaime before, and Naruto did resemble him strongly. Hell, Naruto even had his facial structure, the oval-shape ending in a pointed chin just like his.

Though, Tenten realized that Naruto's eyes and cheekbones must've come from her mother.

Unlike Anko's blatant shock and near disbelief, Tenten schooled her features quickly and her brown eyebrows furrowed. "Hokage-sama must've had some reason for lying, but Kami.. That's so awful, you deserved to know." The brunette said.

"I found out who my mom is too, but.. There's damn near no record of her, anywhere. I searched the library, and there wasn't a single book on her. I just- I want to know who she was. I remember the Hokage telling me she was a powerful shinobi when I was a kid.. But I can't find anything." Her voice was on the verge of breaking by now, it's natural coarseness on an entirely different level. It maintained it's childish lilt somehow, serving to make the sorrow in her tone even more heart wrenching.

"I just.. I know it's stupid to keep chasing after a dead lady. But it's a dead-end on my father's half, and, I don't know.. She's where I get my damn name, Uzumaki. I hold the Uzumaki surname with such pride.." She grumbled, seemingly incapable of organizing her thoughts or even explaining.

Her current emotional state was definitely impacting her ability to think, both Tenten and Naruto knew it.

"I just wish I had a mother, or even just some record of her. A book, a picture. a certificate, anything. I wish she was alive, so she could tell me about our clan, and my dad.." Her voice got progressively weaker, until it was barely a whisper.

"I understand. I wish my mom was still here, too. We're different, though… You have nothing of your mom, not a trace. But my mom left behind so much for me, my dad always told me about her.. I, I'm sorry, Naruto. I can't imagine how much worse that'd be." Tenten's eyes became visibly downcast, before she continued.

"I visit the memorial stone twice a month to speak with her.. I like to think she can hear me, that's probably why I'm so interested in ghosts and stuff." The brunette gave a sad laugh at the end, which felt like a blow directly to Naruto's chest.

"So, your mom.. She was a shinobi, then?" Naruto asked gently.

"Yeah, she was.. A chuunin, but a shinobi nonetheless. According to my dad, he was the house-husband while she did all the hard work. They opened the shop a year or so before I was born. The year my mom died, I was only a year old.. She was going to retire soon, and focus on raising me and running the shop.." Tenten trailed off.

"But she never got the chance.. Her and my dad were having chamomile tea one evening- It was her favorite- When she was called into the battle that took her life."

Cerulean eyes gazed at her friendly solemnly as she retold the story.

"It was October Tenth." Naruto's heart nearly stopped in her chest at that, her eyes widening. She'd been listening to her friend's story as she undid her hair, but halted completely just then.

"The Kyuubi attack started with no warning. No one was ready, no one had expected such a thing. She- She did her duty, running out to the frontlines to save the village. Before she left, she swore she'd protect my father and I.."

Tenten's voice broke, and she choked up for a mere moment. With a few audible sniffles, the brown-haired girl finished the tale.

"And she left, and we weren't harmed." She finished her story with a sad smile, finding the retelling to be therapeutic. She'd never told anyone before, not even Lee, Neji, or Gai.

Naruto stayed completely silent, even as Tenten cried next to her. The weapon's mistress wasn't offended or upset by that, she knew that it would be natural to be left speechless.

"Oh, no. No, no, no.." Naruto murmured, once again overwhelmed by tears streaming down her cheeks.

Tenten, who was also weeping softly, tilted her head to look at the distressed girl next to her. Despite how therapeutic etting all the parental drama off their shoulders was for the both of them, Naruto seemed even more upset after hearing about the brunette's mother.

The blonde's twin pigtails were untied, leaving a mess of molten gold hair cascading down her back, tightly wadded in the girl's fists. She clenched the hair closest to her scalp, her knuckles white with tension. "You really will hate me. Just like Mizuki, and- And the shopkeepers, and the matrons. Kami, Tenten.."

The girl in question abruptly sat up, watching as her friend's body was wracked by sobs.

Quiet mutterings of the word no made the entire sight even more pitiful. Tenten had never seen Naruto so distressed, hell, she'd never even seen the girl look mildly upset before today.

She was always so happy, so energetic, so full of humor and life- To see her friend like this, it was sobering in the worst way.

Placing a reaffirming hand on her friend's shoulder, Tenten's teary eyes tried to will the blonde to calm down. "Naru- Naruto, what is it? What's the matter?"

"Tenten, you asked how I found out the fucking Yondaime was my dad. There was more to it than what I told you…" She paused, sniffling. Her shoulders were practically quivering with suppressed cries.

"I-I found out because of- of an inkling I had. When I took it to the Hokage, he unknowingly confirmed it, but.."

"But?" The brunette asked softly, her heart bleeding with compassion for the blonde. As the blonde removed her shaking hands from her hair, Tenten raked her own hands through the blonde locks, soothingly attempting to straighten out her friend's messy hair.

"You're going to hate me, Tenten.." She muttered, still gathering the courage to tell the truth. Tenten deserved to know, at the very least.

Especially considering that the girl had lost her mother to the beast within. Naruto couldn't help but think of Iruka, how Mizuki had told her that Iruka hated her for something similar.

The beast had slain Iruka's parents, and despite that Iruka had been more tolerant than her other senseis, he still hated her for it apparently. She wasn't sure that he did, but in this moment, she truly believed it had to be true.

For a long time, Naruto had convinced herself she didn't care that others thought she was the Kyuubi incarnate. Those times she'd been refused service, those times she'd been screamed at, ran off, isolated, nearly attacked. She'd nearly left them all in the past.

She'd truly thought her life as the demon brat was left behind now that she was a genin, with a great sensei and a lovely best-friend.

But now, she sat before that best friend, anticipating her judgement. With one sentence, she could ruin their entire friendship, Tenten would hate her like many others.

And she would have expected it, and even understood.

And despite the grave possibilities ahead, Naruto trusted Tenten. So, she said it.

"Tenten," Her voice was so soft, so grave, that Tenten immediately stiffened. The smaller girl took in a steady breath, before continuing. "The Yondaime- He died on the battlefield. But he didn't kill the Kyuubi, nor did the Kyuubi kill him. My father died because he sacrificed his life to seal the beast. The price to use the Shiki Fujin, or Reaper Death Seal, is the life of the caster."

She swallowed, and Tenten's blood chilled.

"He sealed the beast into an infant. Not just any damned infant, though. His own child. Me. It was me, Tenten, he sealed the beast into me. I'm a jinchuriki." Her voice was louder, trembling, damn near frantic.

The brunette was already racing with thoughts. So, her best-friend had a demon sealed within her. The very demon that killed her mother, and countless other Konoha citizens and shinobi.

Of course, Naruto's own parents were among those casualties.

"I found out that he was my father by connecting the dots.." She added weakly.

The brunette was caught off guard at first, disbelieving for only a moment. Once her mind began to race, her brain began racking itself to rationalize the situation. Naruto was her best friend, Kyuubi or not. Even if it was a startling fact about her friend.

Tenten was no fuinjutsu prodigy, but she understood sealing well enough. She had an intimate knowledge of storage seals, explosive seals, and the like. So she knew that whatever seal holding the demon within her friend had to be mighty powerful. The older girl also knew that the Yondaime was heralded for his fuinjutsu capabilities, so surely it contained the beast well.

Once again, Tenten found herself in complete disbelief regarding Naruto. This time though, it was different. The blonde had believed that Tenten would hate her over that?

Yes, Tenten hated the Nine-tails for killing her mother. But, Naruto was not the Nine-tails.

Just like how storage scroll containing a kunai was not the kunai itself.

Roughly, she wiped away the tear streaks on her cheeks, huffing. Her eyes were puffy and pink, showing she'd been crying.

"Naruto you brat!" She declared, her voice hoarse and yet, still compassionate. Her friend froze, shimmering blue eyes flickering up to her.

"I'm not some idiot, I know you're not the demon or anything silly like that. And I know how seals work, at least vaguely. I- I hate Kyuubi, for taking my mom away. But you're not it."

She wagged her finger chidingly, a gesture that was quickly becoming familiar with Naruto. The blonde chuckled sadly, sniffling as she wiped her own tears away.

"S-sorry, Bunny. I just-" Before the blonde could finish, Tenten interrupted. "None of that, okay? We're bonded for life, nothing is going to come between that."

There was an unspoken understanding that came with Tenten's proclamation. That she understood, and that they would be friends regardless. Regardless of anything, they would be friends. Their bond would be unbreakable.

Releasing a soft exhale, Naruto laid down against the wooden floors. Despite the blankets and pillows they'd scattered on the floor, she could still feel the cold planks below her. Uncaring, she batted her dampened eyelashes, staring up at the ceiling.

Her friend imitated her movements, also laying against the floor.

The both of them just laid there for a moment, the radio still playing in the kitchen, just within earshot. Naruto's arms laid limply at her side, and Tenten took one of her free hands within her own, her other hand resting on her stomach.

"Yeah, for life. Believe it." The blonde muttered, a soft smile on her face.

The radio, which they'd long forgotten, began playing a song which oddly fit their emotional night.

Soft acoustics played, a soothing sound generated by the strumming of a guitar.

" _...By the morning they'll be gone."_

The mellow guitar continued, each of the girls closing their eyes to listen to the subdued song.

" _When everything is lonely, I can be my own best-friend. I get the coffee and the paper, have my own conversations.."_

The brunette entwined their fingers, humming along.

" _With the sidewalk, and the pigeons, and my window reflections_."

Surprisingly, Naruto sang the next line, drawing attention to the melancholic lyrics.

" _The mask I polish in the morning, by the evening, looks like shit."_

Before Tenten could comment on the song, a knock at the door alerted them that the food they'd ordered had finally arrived. Naruto had spoken highly of the ramen shop they'd ordered from, so it didn't surprise the older girl when she rushed off to get the door.

By the time Tenten had gotten up to follow her into the small living room, Naruto had thanked the delivery girl warmly, and closed the door.

Somehow, it seemed like the addition of ramen had brightened the girl's whole mood.

* * *

Tenten's chocolate eyes blinked open blearily, squinting as the morning sunlight hit her face.

The events of yesterday came back to her, her remembering that emotional night she'd had with her best friend. She glanced over, seeing Naruto still very asleep, her mouth open as drooled on her pillow. The brunette couldn't help but snicker at the sight. She wiped her eyes, cautiously sitting up so as not to wake her blonde friend. Looking around the room, she saw the empty bowls of ramen sitting right by the place they'd slept. What slobs they were, she thought humorously as she picked up the plastic take-out bowls.

She gave her snoozing friend one last glance before exiting the room to toss the trash away.

'Jinchuriki, eh? A human sacrifice...' She mused solemnly, her brown hair messily cascading down to her shoulders.

As she washed her hands, a very groggy blonde entered the kitchen. "Mornin' Bunny.." She yawned out, her eyes half-lidded. The blonde opened her fridge, taking out two cartons of orange juice, passing one to the brunette. Taking her orange juice, Tenten couldn't help but realize that Naruto certainly was not a morning person.

"Are we still meeting your sensei today?" Tenten asked, getting a very drowsy nod.

"Yeaah.. We'll leave soon. We usually have a schedule, but since you're around I don't think she'd mind switching up the schedule." The blonde girl started doing some stretches, her bones and joints occasionally popping or crackling as she did.

Her mind slowly became less muddled, but she still remained drowsy even once they had left.

As they walked towards their destination, Tenten did most of the chatting, being the early-bird out of the two of them.

"I seriously am gonna have to step up my game this year. Neji became a chuunin last year, and Lee and I are still genin. I hate to say I'm jealous." Tenten admitted, catching Naruto's attention.

"So find your weak points and work on those." She said simply. Sound advice, no matter how basic it was.

Tenten sighed, "Easy for you to say, Naruto. You have huge reserves and a sensei who could teach you any ninjutsu you wanted. That's my weakest point. My arsenal is limited and I've only got the Shadow Clone jutsu you taught me."

The blonde's lips screwed to the side, her brows furrowed in thought. She suddenly remembered that Summoning Contract the man she'd tortured had offered her, in exchange to be left alone. Technically, she'd held up her end of the deal, so that scroll was good as hers.

Stealing a glance at her friend, Naruto proposed her very morally-gray solution.

"Er, I might know of a way to expand your arsenal..But I don't know if you'll like it very much.." She said, rubbing the back of her head with one hand.

Tenten looked at her curiously.

"Hooo boy. You remember that guy I tortured? Well, he offered me something I can't really use in exchange to be left alone.." Naruto paused, allowing confusion to creep onto her features.

"I'd nearly forgotten about it, because the idea of entering a murder scene to take something seemed kinda grim. But, you'd probably get a lot of use out of it, and it would give you an edge in battle." Naruto said, trying to balance the negatives with the positives.

"A- A murder scene?"

Following that very frightened question, Naruto went into a detailed explanation of the man and his crimes. By then, Tenten had discerned that the man was scum and his family deserved closure. Being as spiritual as she was, the brunette refused to take something from that place without leaving a gift. Naruto actually agreed, anything to keep the ghosts of those innocent civilians haunting her. Besides, she thought the entire prospect was morally reprehensible.

Though, Naruto was slowly learning that she was not the world's definition of a good person. No shinobi was, killing was inevitable in their career-path, after all. And Naruto was a member of the Torture and Interrogation unit, meaning she was especially… Bad? She wasn't sure what the word would be.

Was doing a bad thing for the greater good truly evil? Naruto wasn't so sure anymore, and she was leaning towards no. So long as the action was necessary, and resulted in more good than bad, it was not truly evil.

Though, stealing a scroll from a spy, at his murdered family's place of death was not quite covered by that philosophy.

Moral quandaries aside, Naruto cemented herself with the idea that it was better in Tenten's hands anyway. Besides, what was theft when she would be torturing and killing for a living? Especially when it was not truly theft, it was hardly anything at all.

She was actually comforted by that, even if she knew her actions were mildly wrong.

Tenten had several bags in her arms, intending to make a vigil on the porch of the home they were now walking towards. They'd bought a bouquet, three candles, two teddy-bears, incense, and a few food offerings to the spirits. The plan was, Tenten would set up the shrine while Naruto broke in and got the scroll.

Despite her fear of ghosts, the blonde knew it made more sense that way. She fully intended to explain herself the moment she entered, and pay her respects at the shrine before she left..

Naruto was generally unsurprised to see that the destination they'd arrived at looked just like every other nearby house. The entire neighbourhood was eerily quiet, the gentle chirping of birds being the only sounds she could truly hear.

Judging by the numbers on the mailbox, this was absolutely the right place. She'd remembered the address from the file she'd read those days ago, and this was it.

"I.. I'd never guess that something so grisly had happened here.." Tenten said softly, clutching her bags just a bit tighter.

Giving her friend an uneasy glance, Naruto said, "Are you sure you want to do this? Just because we know it's here doesn't mean we have to take it."

"Even if we weren't here for the scroll, I wouldn't turn back now. We've already got the stuff for the shrine, there is no way I'll turn back now."Tenten declared resolutely, looking at the home in front of them.

The blonde couldn't argue with that, even if she wanted to.

Naruto could imagine the joy that had been had here, how the children must've played in this very front yard.

All the while, someone they'd trusted so much was a spy. All their memories with him, they'd been nothing more than a facade.

And they'd paid for their trust with their lives.

Naruto grimaced at the dark thoughts drifting through her mind, before pushing open the front gate. If she waited any longer, she'd back down.

It was such an uncharacteristic thing for her to admit, but true nonetheless.

Legally, the man had told her she could take the scroll. He'd told her the location too, so there would be no legal issues with taking it. But that didn't mean she felt good about it, because the issue wasn't about legality. It was a matter of morals.

Tenten followed in behind her slowly, setting up the vigil the moment she reached the porch. She first placed the candles, then the teddy bears and flowers. Naruto stared at her for a moment, noticing Tenten's soft gaze and methodical movements. Her eyes practically showed just how tender-hearted the brunette was. The blonde stopped suppressing her sensory ability for a moment, and was damn near overwhelmed by the strength of the emotions coming from her friend.

The brunette was practically bleeding out empathy and sorrow for the family.

Not only that, but the house itself was radiating strong emotions. She could feel such sadness, terror, betrayal, it cut into her like a knife through warm butter.

Naruto could also feel very, very weak traces of chakra in the home. They weren't flickers like civilians, or flames like shinobi. They were mere embers, soon to become ash.

Not wanting to think about what those presences meant, she tried to shake it off, even as the slight traces seemed to be coming to the shrine Tenten was building.

With a deep breath, the girl walked around the shrine and to the front door. To her immense surprise, the door was unlocked, allowing her entry instantly.

Warily, she gave Tenten one last look before walking in and closing the door behind her. The blonde was carefully timing her breathing, keeping herself calm as she took in her surroundings.

It wasn't all that long ago that there was a happy family living here.

And it was even less long ago that the happy family was dead on the floors in this very house.

Shaking the grim thought out of her head, scanned her surroundings.

There was an inverted L shaped hallway up ahead, and Naruto presumed that must've been where the master bedroom was.

The weight of her body made the wooden floorboards creak unnaturally in the dead-silent house, the only other sound being the pulsation of her own heart.

The frantic thumps echoed in her mind, her very own heart threatening to break it's way out of her ribcage with its beating. She tried to focus on her breathing yet again, calming herself significantly. Her wobbly legs carried her towards the direction of that room, regaining herself as she did so.

By the time she'd reached the closed door, she was as collected as a girl with a phobia for ghosts could be.

Raising her hand to the door knob, she slowly pushed the door open. A soft breeze of cool air hit her, nearly unnoticeable, yet Naruto still felt it. It didn't make her feel any better, that was certain.

She swallowed, trudging forward. The room was exactly as she had expected, a master bedroom.

Knowing the scroll was hidden here, Naruto went to work immediately.

She pushed aside the bed, using chakra enhanced arms to make it light as a feather. Beneath the bed, one floorboard was out of place, as if it had just been moved.

Under the place that the wooden board should have been obscuring, a safe composed of dark iron resided. It was oddly convenient that the safe was also unlocked, just as the door had been.

Sucking in a deep, steadying breath, Naruto wedged her forefingers into the slightly cracked opening of the safe.

She gently guided it open, her eyes focusing on the items inside. A large stack of ryo, a Kusa hitai-ate, and the item she'd come for, the scroll.

A rotolus with aged papyrus paper the size of her forearm. It was rather slim, and had bronze engravings around the base.

"I-I'll be taking this, I h-hope no one minds." She managed to stammer out, pushing the safe closed right after.

Upon not seeing, hearing, or perceiving anything that could be signifying that she shouldn't, The blonde took the large roll of parchment close to her chest.

Placing her back against the bed, she used the strength of her legs to push the bed back into place.

Looking over the room one last time, Naruto scampered away, eager to leave. She didn't even notice the door of the bedroom clicking closed behind her, too caught up in getting the hell out of dodge.

Naruto had been out of the building in no time at all, heaving in deep breaths as she closed the front door behind her.

Heaving in breaths, she noticed that Tenten had her head bowed over the shrine.

"H-hey, I uh, got the scroll..." She said weakly, causing the brunette's head to snap up in her direction.

Eyeing the large scroll and her friend, she stepped aside to let Naruto through.

"I will never, ever, go in a haunted house again. No matter what." The blonde said, stealing a glance at the building.

After that, Naruto had passed the scroll to Tenten and took her turn at the makeshift shrine. She knelt down in front of it, giving her respects, apologizing for a hundred different things, wishing them a good afterlife, etc. Her eyes were closed the entire time, and it was nerve-wracking to see those ember-like chakra signatures watching her as she did.

They were so small, it only proved they weren't really living beings. At least not anymore. After having a sort of one-sided conversation to the spirits, she eventually stood up and stepped away. She gave a polite bow to the shrine, before turning and exiting the front-yard as fast as she could.

Tenten was awaiting her just outside the gate, scroll in hand.

"Well, I suppose that's that, huh?" Naruto asked, her voice retaining a melancholic undertone. The both of them kept stealing glances at the house as they walked away.

"Yeah... It is. We still have to meet your sensei after all this, you know.." Tenten replied softly.

"I know. She'll be impressed that we actually had the guts to do that, at least. A summons doesn't exactly solve your issue, but it does give you something your teammates don't." Naruto said, bringing back up the idea that had brought them there in the first place.

"Oh, yeah. That's true, but, I have a feeling this will come in a lot of handy later on." Tenten said, trying to be optimistic.

* * *

**_ TRAINING GROUND 44 _ **

* * *

When Anko Mitarashi arrived at Training Ground 44, she'd expected to see her working herself into the ground with clones once again.

However, that was not what she'd walked up to.

Instead of her usually bright blonde student working hard. She was seated on the ground, making noncommittal small-talk with a brunette.

It didn't take long for the special jounin to remember the girl, it was the clerk at the weapon's shop she'd taken Naruto to over a month ago.

The blonde noticed her presence quickly, despite the fact she and her friend were facing away from her. Naruto turned her head, looking at Anko with a delicate smile.

"Oi, Anko-sensei! I brought Tenten along today!"She informed, pointing her thumb at the brunette next to her.

Anko grinned, excited to tell her surrogate little sister about her good news. Walking over and sitting down with the two girls, she noticed a storage scroll in the hands of the brunette. Pushing observation aside, she spoke.

"I don't know why you kids are looking so down-in-the-dumps today, but you better cheer up quick. I got recommended for the Elite Jounin exams and I'm feeling generous, so we can work on whatever you brats want today."

"Congratulations!" Tenten remarked, happy for the woman, even though she didn't know her.

"Hell yeah, that's awesome, Anko-sensei!" Added the blonde, giving the purplette a fist-bump.

"Since you're in such a jolly mood, could you teach Tenten and me a jutsu or something?" Naruto asked excitedly, suddenly looking quite happy.

Anko thought about it for a moment, realizing that she didn't know any wind based ninjutsu to teach Naruto. If her friend was a fire nature like she was, she could just show them both a fire jutsu. She knew a few water and earth techniques as well, which she could also show the girls.

Though, she wasn't very keen on teaching genin high-ranking techniques, that could cost her promotion before she even got it.

She'd need to think about it more before she could come to a decision, but first things first, she needed to know this other girl's chakra nature.

"O-kaaay, so, Tenten. What is your control like, and do you know your affinity?" She asked, wringing her hands.

Tenten sighed, "I've got good control, average reserves.. And I don't know my affinity, my sensei doesn't really do ninjutsu so I never figured it out." She said, scratching the back of her head.

"Well, I suppose we're going to have to get a chakra paper to figure that out. On your feet, let's get goin!" Anko said, leaping onto her feet with renewed vigor.

Naruto had thought that Anko was actually excited to teach them something, or simply happy because of her possible promotion in the near-future.  
However, the truth behind the purplette's eagerness came out moments later. "The sooner I get done with you gakis, I can go get wasted!" She said cheerfully, leading them out of the training ground.

Tenten blinked in surprise, before snorting loudly. Naruto rolled her eyes, still smiling nonetheless, walking a few paces behind the woman. The blonde supposed that Tenten was probably used to weird Jounin by now, given that Gai was her sensei. Anko's brutal honesty could hardly faze the bun-headed young lady.

The trio were at a shop for general shinobi needs in no time at all. Whereas Tenten's father owned a Weapon's Shop for shinobi, this shop carried a surplus of random items for cheap prices, all directed towards shinobi use.

Naruto and Tenten stuck directly behind the purplette, as neither of them were particularly interested in shopping. They chattered while Anko made her purchase.  
Naruto nearly walked tripped over a rock once they'd returned outside, as she was so invested in the conversation between her and the bun-headed girl

Anko put her arm out, stopping the girl before she could fall.

"Okay, Tenten, it's time we check your chakra nature." The purple-haired jounin instructed, passing the slip of paper to the older girl.

"Ah, yes Anko-sensei!" The brunette replied enthusiastically, a cute look of determination on her features.

Raising her purple brows, the woman smirked at how polite the blonde's best friend was. A drastic difference from Naruto herself, who didn't care much for manners most times.

"Yeesh, Naruto! If only you could be as polite as your friend, gaki." Anko teased, getting only a harrumph and an eye-roll in response.

"So, what do I do?" The brunette interrupted, before Anko could tease the whiskered girl any further.

As Anko explained, Naruto's eyes wandered their surroundings. They were on the edge of town, the closest section of shops to Training Ground 44. She was fairly familiar with every inch of Konoha, including here. It was just as congested with vibrant wildlife as everywhere else, tall trees with emerald leaves and small shrubs as far as the eyes could see.

"Naruto, look!" Called her friend, making naruto's head turn instantly.

In her friend's palm, a chunk of rich earth sat in her hand. Soil, indicating that her friend had an Earth affinity after all. Naruto supposed that the Earth element suited Tenten, though she had been expecting her friend to get the water element.

Anko sighed, "Well, I'd been hoping that Tenten here would have fire affinity so I could show you some basic fire jutsu and call it a night. But instead, I've got a better idea now anyway."

Both girls instantly looked at her, excited at the prospect of learning a new jutsu. She clicked her tongue, "Do either of you girls know the Shunshin? Or the body-flicker technique?" She asked.

"Hell no!"

"No, I don't." The brunette confirmed, much more politely than her blonde companion.

"Great! The shunshin is a common ninjutsu, but a real useful one. By forming the Ram hand seal and focusing your chakra, you can increase your speed while disappearing from sight. This makes it look like a teleportation jutsu, but that's not exactly it." The jounin explained, using her best version of a 'teacher-voice.'

"Nearly everyone who knows the technique uses some kind of element to conceal their shunshin. Here in Konoha, smoke or leaves are used most often. Basically, you add an element to conceal yourself, you disappear from sight, and speed off wherever you're headed." Anko summarized lazily.

"Wait, so how does it make you disappear?" The short blonde asked, her hand raised as if she were in a classroom.

Anko huffed, "By cloaking yourself with chakra, it conceals you from any normal eyes. A Byakugan can easily see through the technique, but it still improves your speed greatly. Even if they can see you, they have to be fast enough to react. It's essentially a speed technique with a bunch of add-ons."

Naruto managed to wrap her head around the technique after Anko explained it better, while Tenten had understood it immediately. Seeing the brunette put her hand into the Ram seal, Naruto watched in silence.

The older girl pushed out chakra, manifesting it into a cloud of smoke to conceal herself. Surrounding her body in a thin sheen of chakra, making her body disappear from sight. As if her body were weightless, she ran over to where Naruto was standing and released the hand sign.

She suddenly appeared right next to the blonde, who's eyes were closed. She had expected to startle the girl, but she was entirely unperturbed.

"That was so cool! My Mind's Eye of Kagura ability could still track you, but you were going super fast." Naruto said, causing Tenten to make a pouty-face.

"No fair! I wanted to scare you." Both Anko and Naruto chuckled at that, finding her sulking to be quite entertaining.

Naruto then decided it was her turn to try out the Body Flicker, or Shunshin, technique.

Doing as Tenten did, she first tried to conceal her movements. Instead of using smoke or leaves, she tried something else. Her affinity, that is.

Small winds began to pick up around her feet, slowly rising around her. It was painstakingly slow to the blonde, the gusts concealing her knees, then up to her thighs.

It was hard for her to manipulate chakra like this even now, despite that she'd put a fair amount of time into practicing her chakra control.

Finally, her entire body was surrounded by what resembled a cocoon of tornado-like winds, hiding her away as she cloaked herself in chakra. Once fully concealed, she could instantly tell that there was a timer on her concealment.

Knowing she didn't have much time before she was revealed, she ran diagonally very quickly in the direction of her sensei.

Releasing her hand seal, she appeared right next to her teacher and surrogate big sister.

"Great job, kiddos! Even though it's only a D-rank, I didn't expect either of you to get it right off the bat." The honey-eyed woman said gleefully, a proud smirk on her lips.

Clearly Anko's teacher skills were improving.

Naruto was a bit disappointed by how short she could hold the technique in comparison to how long it took for her to actually start it, but she was happy with it nonetheless.  
Tenten took the moment to glance at her wrist-watch, before gasping in surprise. "I'm late for my shift at the shop! Sorry guys, I better get going!" The brunette said.

She was about to take of running, before she realized this would be perfect time to put her new jutsu to use.

"Thank you again, Naru, Anko!" Both of them gave her a smile.

"I'll see you soon, Naru. Double thanks for that.. Thing you got me." She finished elusively, putting her hands into the Ram sign.

And just like that, the older girl disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving Anko and Naruto alone.

Before her surrogate older sister could twist Tenten's remark into something weird and inappropriate, she explained everything. She of course did not include how she'd been utterly terrified for the entire time, nor did she comment on the fact that she'd handed over something of such value so easily.

To her credit, Anko looked mostly unbothered aside from being mildly surprised.

"You know, they were going to send me to get that scroll for you. He technically left it to you, but I didn't think you'd accept it. It's a good thing your friend will get some use out of it, though." Anko informed her student cooly, uncaring of the fact that Naruto had broken into a place and stolen such an item.

Well, it wasn't technically stealing, but still-

Naruto rubbed the nape of her neck, "Yeah, for sure. We set up a vigil, so hopefully we don't get.. Haunted, or somethin." The blonde remarked, getting an amused hum from her teacher. Looking up from where her eyes had been glued to her feet, she saw her teacher was holding something now, which she hadn't noticed before.  
She pursed her lips subtly, trying to figure out where she'd pulled the rectangular thing from.

"You didn't really think I'd let your official promotion at T go without reward, did ya?" Anko asked, a sly smile across her face.

Naruto tilted her head. She thought the nice, expensive trench coat Ibiki had given her was her reward…

Before she could ask any questions, Anko passed her the rectangular tin with a ribbon around it.

"It'll be a good way for you to use all the stuff you'll be learning at the office. You can't exactly coat a meteor hammer with poison and expect it to be effective. I know it'll be ages before you figure out poisons, but still.." Anko said, watching as Naruto pulled the tin open.

She audibly gasped. A shimmering pack of copper senbon, unlike any which she had seen before. Clearly, Anko had picked them because of their orange-ish color.

The girl glomped her sensei, who squawked in surprise as she was tackled by the short girl. Naruto never thought she'd actually get around to learning how to use the pesky throwing needles, but now that her beloved sensei had gotten her some..

Well, there was no way that the blonde would leave them around to collect dust.

"I expect to see you here again tomorrow, Imouto. Tuesday is for taijutsu, and I intend to work you into the ground! You need to get those katas perfect before the exams in a few months." The purplette said, a challenging edge in her voice.

Anko's surrogate little sister smirked.

"Great, you better have something planned than that shit you call evasion training. That doesn't really improve my katas, you know." The blonde said, flipping a blonde pigtail over her shoulder.

In that moment, their attitudes magically switched from wholesome, to deviously crass.

It only made sense that the two could only hide their _true_ nature for so long. The two were rather infamous for their.. Unique.. Personalities, after all.

"Oh please! It totally helps your flexibility and dodging. You should be grateful, bitch." Anko began to strut away, her nose stuck up as she waved dismissively.

Naruto snorted, "Whatever! You just get off on throwing pointy needles at your innocent little sister!" She declared, folding her arms.

Anko halted, turning on her heel. The short girl quirked a blonde brow, her amused expression fading.

It didn't take a genius, or a super-cool sensory ability, to notice the predatory leer on Anko's face. The blonde's neck visibly recoiled in surprise, her face going pale.

"And what if I do?" She asked, a distinctly serpentine look in her eyes. Naruto rolled her eyes, mostly just to hide her unease.

"You're one sick bitch, Nee-chan." Naruto said in a deadpan tone, to which Anko could only cackle loudly.

They parted ways, each turning in opposite directions and stalking off. Having been ditched by Tenten, Naruto mulled over what she could do with her day.

Normally, she'd train well into the night. It was the only way she could keep her mind off of things. Though, Inoichi had at one point said that overworking was unhealthy for the mind and the body.

The blonde really wasn't surprised by that.

After her heartfelt sleepover with Tenten, however, Naruto wasn't so weighed down by her thoughts. It had relieved some of the tension within her, nearly all of it really. She didn't know why, or how. It was probably something to do with human psychology, another thing that Inoichi had previously told her to learn about.

Regardless, Naruto couldn't help but realize how much she had changed, as had her life. And surely, things would keep changing.

* * *

**_OMAKE:_** _**Ibiki Morino's Biggest Nightmare**_

* * *

Ibiki had woken up the Saturday after Naruto's promotion just like every other. He'd gotten up, taken a shower in ice-cold water just to feel alive, had a healthy breakfast of nicotine and black coffee, and headed out for the day.

Truly, it had been a day like every other.

Up until he'd arrived at the T&I office.

People were huddled around different spots in the room, chatting amongst themselves. Nothing that new, shinobi slacked off at work just like citizens did.

It was when he noticed them stealing amused glances at him that he realized.. Something was wrong.

Ibiki Morino was a man known for his dedication, his intelligence, and finally- His instincts.

And his instincts were raising every alarm they could.

Something was wrong here in the Torture and Interrogation unit, and he had to get to the bottom of it.

Narrowing his sharp eyes, he studied the room around them.

Outwardly, he could see nothing out of place. There was nothing on the walls, nothing on the floors, the physical state of the room was unmarred and completely normal.

He heard a giggle to his right, where a huddle of his men were whispering amongst each other like civilian schoolgirls.

Ibiki's eye twitched agitatedly. He really, truly, most definitely did not like being left out of secrets.

If he had to, he would interrogate his own shinobi to discover the truth behind this odd day.

Walking slowly past his shinobi and kunoichi, he could hear their mutterings as he passed by. Their hushed voices and snorts and giggles only served to agitate him further- the cacophony of sounds only substantiated his belief that there was something terribly amiss.

He passed Gekko on his way up the stairs, who instantly pursed his lips and rushed past him, his face reddening as he passed.

Ibiki was unsure of the reasoning for his flushed face, perhaps it was the cost of holding in his coughs?

On the second floor, Inoichi was leaning against the brick walls with a smirk. Catching sight of Ibiki, the man made an unusually snide remark. "Hey, Morino. You know, I may have misjudged you after all these years. I never knew you could actually experience joy."

Ibiki stared at him blankly, raising his slim eyebrows ever-so-slightly.

"I don't know what you're referring to."

Inoichi didn't falter under the pressure of Ibiki's slowly increasing KI, still looking smug and not explaining his remark.

Grunting in aggravation, Ibiki shoved past him to walk in the direction of his office. He rude gesture was unnecessary but served to show just how irritated Ibiki Morino was.

He was usually a patient man, but he was already getting a migraine from these odd happenings and had no desire to be kept in the dark.

Throwing open his office door, Ibiki immediately spotted something which shouldn't have been there.

Atop his wooden desk, a small black rectangle sat upright, which he knew he hadn't placed there.

Without even seeing what was contained in the thing, he could deduct that it was a picture frame. The man had never been the sappy type, he had no pictures on his desk, only papers and pens. His drawers were similarly barren, though one of his drawers had an emergency stash of tobacco and ibuprofen, for when his, "I'm-surrounded-by-idiots," migraines became especially troublesome.

Moving at the speed of light to discover the contents of the picture frame, he swiped it from his desk and turned the image around to study it.

His jaw fell slack and his eyes became impossibly wide at the image. It was a horror the likes of which Ibiki had never imagined.

This image alone had the capacity to ruin his entire career- No, this image already had ruined his career. It's mere existence had turned his terror-striking name into a joke!

Now what would he do? His life was ruined now, his brain was practically melting at the sight of the horrendous image.

In the frame, there was a picture taken yesterday. It was him, with Naruto leaping towards him.

But that wasn't the bad part, no. That was fine.

The problem was that smile on his very own face.

With white-knuckled trembling hands, Ibiki cracked the wooden frame of the photograph.

Placing it back onto his desk, Ibiki stomped back into the hallway. Red-faced, with smoke practically blowing from his ears- The man was unpleasantly surprised that his shinobi were standing in the hallway outside his office.

They'd witnessed his discovery of that image, but their amused faces had became terrfieied very, very quickly.

With audible gulps, they listened to his shout with ghostly pale faces.

"WHICH ONE OF YOU MAGGOTS DID THIS?!" He practically screamed, his eyes bulging in his rage.

Before anyone could be implicated or blamed, everyone took off. Either by running like hell was on their heels, or by using the body-flicker technique to disappear.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS INSUBORDINATION, WITH YOUR LIVES!" He charged at the horde of fleeing chuunin and jounin, causing terror-stricken screams to fill the building

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't feel so great about this chapter, if I'm honest. I'm wary about posting it for several reasons, but I don't wanna get into all my insecurities about this chapter here on AO3 too.  
> Please let me know what you think of the various scenes, interactions, etc!
> 
> What did you think of the Omake? Was it all just a nightmare of Ibiki's? Would you like more of these?  
> If there is something in this story you feel needs expanded upon- Be it what other characters are up to, or interactions between Naruto and others- LET ME KNOW!  
> It might encourage me to sneak in whatever you suggested into the next chapter.
> 
> EDITED ON 12/10/2020
> 
> Headpats and love for all of you! Thank you for your support!
> 
> The song is Lua by Bright Eyes!


	8. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto starts to stagnate, meets Ino Yamanaka for the first time in ages, knocks the sense into Neji, and makes tow friends out of it! Oh, and a visit to the cemetery!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kinda filler and definitely on the repetitive side, I'm sorry! Next update will be a fun, decent sized omake, rather than Chapter 8.

" _ **..Are we growing up or just going down?.."**_

* * *

* * *

Naruto's third month as a genin came bearing rejuvenation and excitement in droves. She could feel herself getting stronger, she was worlds away from the girl she'd started as.

She'd already perfected her use of the special, transforming weapon she loved so much. And soon? She would be learning senbon usage.. And then? She could learn to use poisons, hallucinogens, paralyzing drugs in battle..  
Naruto nearly drooled at the thought of how cool she'd look, flinging poisoned needles, and smashing stuff at the same time. (Don't you dare tell her that's unrealistic!)

Or maybe she was drooling because the familiar, mouth-watering scent that tickled at her nostrils.

Ah, yes. Back to reality, then. Patiently wringing her hands, Naruto awaited her friend outside a small shop. More like a shack, really.

To spice up their routine, the girls decided to spend their Monday evening together, at a restaurant. Last Wednesday, they'd gone to a dango shop, and ran into Anko. They'd had a grand time with the gluttonous, possibly insane woman, who made an innocuous thing like lunch into a true occasion.

But today, it would be just them, visiting a place Naruto hadn't ventured into in the three months since she'd become a genin. Rather, soon to be three months, because the third month had just begun.. But it felt like millennia, so Naruto didn't really care about the specifics.  
To put it simply, too many months since Naruto had dined on the divine ramen sold at the Ichiraku ramen shop. Of course, she'd had it delivered once in that time. But that was just one bowl, so it didn't count. Nope, didn't count at all.

When her beloved, bun-headed best friend appeared, jogging towards her in casual wear, Naruto grinned brightly. She'd known she sensed her coming! Without even trying, mind you!

And despite that she'd just seen the brunette a few days ago, she trapped the girl in a loving hug. "Bunny-chan!" She cried dramatically, startling nearby citizens.

To them, they had just seen the demon brat of Konoha glowering outside of a ramen shop, looking intimidating and thuggish. But, that all changed when the girl did a 360 by tackle-hugging some poor, innocent girl..

Unanimously, the citizens who were gawking at the spectacle, each took three steps back simultaneously, increasing their distance from the pair.

The girls would've found it quite humorous had they even noticed.

* * *

 ** _Ichiraku Ramen Shop_**

* * *

Inside the ramen shop, both Tenten and Naruto took seats on comfortable stools.

"Naruto-chan, it's been ages!" Greeted the brunette behind the counter.

Ayame had her usual warm grin on her face, her white bandanna holding back most of her hair.

"Ayaaame-nee! It totally has been!" She said with an equally warm smile, taking in the cozy atmosphere of the ramen stand. It had been far too long, truly.

The heat from stove-top filled the room with a subtle warmth, the air carrying the aroma of seasoning, broth and delicious meat.

Naruto had always loved the Ichiraku's Ramen Shop, for more reasons than their fantastic food. The atmosphere- The kindness- Hell, even the cushy stools, it made Ichiraku's feel more like home than her own damn apartment.

Shaking out of her stupor, the blonde came back to reality with Teuchi smiling and talking to her.

Funny how she hadn't even noticed. Proof there was some semblance of pre-academy, or just academy, Naruto still in there.

"You've really changed yer style, Naruto-chan." Teuchi remarked, eyes clearly on her leather trench coat.

Flipping her one of blonde ponytails in a show of faux-confidence, "Got a promotion!" She said cheerfully, causing the brunette behind the counter to clap her hands excitedly.

"That's amazing, Naruto-chan! You and your friend get your first bowls completely on the house!" Ayame said, grinning happily.

"Oh yeah!" The short blonde gladdened, pumping her fist excitedly.

Tenten snorted, knowing full well that Naruto had a ramen obsession.. She had seen that girl's cabinets, they were full of those Styrofoam cups of microwaveable noodles.  
Once the girls had made their orders, the Ichiraku pair began preparing the noodles.

"Okay, then, let's chat! Have you gotten around to asking Gai-sensei about teaching you some damn ninjutsu yet?" Naruto asked, tapping her fingers against the counter.

Frowning slightly, the brunette rested her head against hands, which were propped against counters with so little regard for manners. Being friends with Naruto had worn away her etiquette, just a bit.

"No, it just seems so inconsiderate to ask with Lee around." She explained.

Naruto clicked her tongue, shaking her head in disapproval. "That wouldn't bother Lee! He's too damn wholesome for that. Besides, there's not long until the Chuunin Exams, 'ttebayo. You're gonna want some new tricks up your sleeve." She chided casually, trying not to overbear the brown-eyed girl with nagging.

"Hey, I'll have you know that Gai has been working us into the ground! I'm in peak condition, and my close combat skills are getting better everyday."

"Thanks to my oh-so-helpful suggestion that you learn it." Naruto said in a fake cocky tone, accentuating her words with a haughty wave of dismissal.

Tittering softly, "Whatever shorty," Tenten paused as Naruto scowled, "What've you been working on?"

The blonde girl grimaced. "Everything, my brain might turn to mush soon. I've got my main weapon pretty much mastered.." Her grimace deepened, the brunette waving for her to continue. Most of the time they chatted about random things, reserving discussions about progress when there was actually some to talk about.

"I'm still memorizing the fuinjutsu alphabet perfecting my calligraphy, like you suggested. I know I can make like any storage scroll or explosive, but everything else is edging on guesswork. My katas aren't horrible, so i'd say my taijutsu is alright. And I've got poisons mostly covered as far as book knowledge goes…"

"But?" Tenten asked patiently, genuinely interested in her friend's studies. Naruto never failed to impress her with how dedicated she could be to so many things. The blonde was a T&I apprentice, learning everything they offered while also learning weaponry and fuinjutsu. It was baffling, to strain the mind and body so much with so little complaint.

"But I've got no experience. Reading and using are two completely different things… I haven't made a poison yet, figured out the proper dosage, how to balance the chemicals to make the right effect." She dropped her head against the countertop, a loud thud coming from the impact.

"IF I DIDN'T WASTE SO MUCH TIME ON STUPID D-RANKS, I'D MAKE SO MUCH MORE PROGRESS!" The blonde wailed dramatically, flailing her arms. Tenten was about to console her friend with a few kind back-pats, but the blonde suddenly sat up straight. Her eyes filled with rage and her face etched with fury, she clenched her fist.

"And if I have to catch that damn cat Tora again…" Tenten hardly contained her laughter as Naruto narrowed her eyes, "I'll use that fucker as a test subject."

The brunette giggled, covering her mouth, "That's so horrible, but I can't even blame ya." The bun-headed girl said.

"If I meet that cat again only in the afterlife, it'll be too soon." She said airily, just as Teuchi placed their bowls in front of them.

"There you go, ladies! Enjoy." Teuchi said kindly, giving them a smile.

"Itadakimasu!" They said in unison, as Naruto immediately turned into a wild animal. Before the blonde could make a mess of herself by inhaling her miso ramen, Tenten raised her index finger.

Glaring sternly, she spoke. "You're in public, Naru-chan. If you act like a beast and get food on your clothes, I'm not washing the stains out for you." She wagged her finger, as if she were the blonde's mother. They were the same age, yet Tenten was much more mature.

Naruto did her best attempt at puppy eyes, but the brunette didn't falter.

"No buts. That's the price you pay if you embarrass me." Tenten had gotten tea stains out of Naruto's kimono-tops enough times to know the girl hated laundry, and was damn near helpless in that department.

"Yes, Bunny-chan…" The blonde said begrudgingly, with a defeated sigh.

Both Ayame and Teuchu exchanged glances, staring at the pair before laughing heartily.

"It's about time someone teaches Naru-chan manners!" Ayame chirped, while Teuchi shook his head.

Naruto only rolled her eyes, deciding to enjoy her noodles instead of making a retort.

* * *

 ** _TRAINING GROUND 44_**

* * *

"Well.. At least you're average now." Anko said, rubbing the side of her head in exasperation.

"Average?!" Naruto griped.

Anko pinned her with her honey-eyed gaze, "You've gotten better, gaki, don't get me wrong. Your evasion is damn near stellar, including your dodging. But.. Your hits? Using your opponents moves against them? Not great."

Naruto was about to speak, but Anko kept going. "And you don't even use terrain to your advantage. You can incorporate your main weapon, but not anything else. You rarely even use your kunai or senbon."

Once again, Naruto was cut off before she could even start.

"You whine about wanting a bigger edge in fights, that's how you get it. Use your opponent's moves to your advantage, use your weapons, and use the terrain." Anko said sternly, giving her little sister figure her daily dose of reality.

She might love the blonde, but she was still her jounin-sensei and that meant being serious.

Naruto always wanted new ninjutsu, new moves, hell, she'd even considered new weapons. But Anko had to draw a line somewhere. The kid was overworking herself, learning so many things at once could only spell burn-out.

"I just, I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere fast enough." The blonde genin said with a slow sigh.

"No need to rush, imouto. You've got a while until the chuunin exams, you need to pick some stuff and focus on them. Master one thing, work on another. Being average at everything won't make you feel any different." Anko said, instilling her oh-so-awesome Common Sense onto the girl.

"Right! What's that phrase, er.. Jack of all trades, but-"

"Master of none." The purpelette finished, wringing her hands.

Naruto stayed quiet for a moment, taking in what Anko said with silent contemplation.

"Then, I'm gonna focus on being average first, and master later, 'ttebane."

Anko rolled her eyes fondly, "Yeah, okay. That means working on what you've already started, including your poison knowledge and senbon." Anko leaned down, and flicked the whiskered girl's nose.

The blonde scrunched her face, "I'm workin' on it!" She said, huffing.

Naruto hated being nagged, she truly did.

With a stroke of common sense, not even genius, Naruto decided she'd get started to get working on all of those at once, consequences be damned. Consequences meaning severe headaches from memory influx. She'd done this enough times that it should be second nature, but the blonde was never eager to get those brain-melting migraines.

Bringing forth 5 identical copies of herself, Naruto began a routine that was just a bit too familiar for her liking. She barked orders to her clones, gave the clones their respective scrolls, and sat down to get to work.

She'd be working on refining her sensory ability, whilst the others read, did calligraphy, practiced with throwing weapons, and the like. She sat on her crossed legs, sucking in a deep breath.

"I think that's my cue to leave, isn't it? I've got shit to do anyway." The purplette said, tapping her foot against the dirt ground.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Anko-nee." She said sweetly, closing her eyes, whilst not denying that it was Anko's cue to go. The taller woman clicked her tongue, throwing up two peace-signs before disappearing in shunshin.

Naruto saw the gesture, her Mind's Eye capable of discerning every bit of the human body that had chakra flowing through it. All it took was a little focus, really. When she'd discovered her bloodline, it took so much more to see things like fingers, ears or toes. She couldn't even make them out when she was at a distance.

But now, she could. She almost thought she'd mastered the ability, but every time she used it, it seemed to improve. Less headaches, less need to focus, etc.

That, along with her weapon, were the few things she genuinely believed she had mastered. Or was close to, at least.

Anko, on the other hand, was treating herself to a nice break at her favorite bar, while Naruto and her clones were hard at work.

* * *

 ** _Yamanaka Flower Shop_**

* * *

Entering the flower shop with curious eyes, the newest member of T&I studied the building. With warm lighting keeping the entire place brightly lit and welcoming, it was a stark contrast from what Naruto imagined a shop owned by Inoichi would look like.

Then again, he'd told her before that his wife and daughter ran the place.

Yellow wallpaper and stone mosaic floors were hidden by a surplus of plants, flowers, bushes, trees, and seeds.

Shelves on walls had small potted plants, with labels detailing them.

Naruto, having never been in a flower shop, hadn't the slightest idea of where to begin. The plants she had at home were ivy, which had been tossed in the garbage for her to salvage.

Despite the fact that she had read about plants in the book Inoichi had given her, she was still lost. Perhaps she should've paid more attention to the lessons on plants and flowers back in the academy. Her eyes landed on the cashier, and she made eye contact with a familiar face. Ino Yamanaka. She'd known that she'd be here, but somewhere deep inside she'd hoped otherwise. Ino had never liked her back in the academy, and chances were, she wouldn't like her now.

Sighing, the blonde walked in. Knowing that she had no clue where to begin, she walked right up to Ino.

"Uh, hey, Ino." She said, rubbing the back of her neck. The girl in question was staring at her with curious, pale blue eyes.

"...Hey, fish-cakes. Can I help you with something?" She asked, nervously. "Yeah, a friend of your dad's told me you guys sell some stuff that I need here." It was true, despite that Naruto used the word friend questioningly. Were Ibiki and Inoichi friends? Sometimes they seemed chummy, other times they seemed to be rivals. Co-worker probably would've been more appropriate terminology..

"Wait, my dad?!" The blonde questioned, incredulity in her voice.

"Uh, yeah. I'm a newbie at T&I, and he told me I could pick up poisonous plants to make serums and powders with them." She explained, expecting even more disbelief. Ino blinked owlishly, batting her dark eyelashes.

"Wow, Naruto, you're working in T&I?" Her fellow blonde asked, her head resting on one hand while she leaned against the counter.

"That's what I said, right?" Naruto said, giving a polite smile. Ino nodded, running a hand through her blonde side-bangs. "That's just- Wow. I can't even imagine working there, I'm too squeamish." She mused, being far more polite than Naruto would've ever imagined. She was more surprised by the feelings coming from the girl.

 _Curiosity, regret, wonder._

Awkwardly, Naruto stuffed her hands in her pocket. "Say, what're you looking for? I could help." The other blonde said, smiling at Naruto. That... Was foreign to Naruto. Ino had never smiled at her before, it was nearly baffling. "Uh.. Okay! I need Foxglove, Leadwort, and Baby's Breath." Naruto listed, causing Ino to smile yet again.

"That's easy, then! Two of those are common garden plants." Naruto followed right behind her fellow blonde, as she began gathering white sprigs of Baby's Breath.

"I gotta ask... I know that Foxglove can be poisonous, and Leadwort causes rashes, but what's this for?" The blonde Yamanaka asked sweetly, studying the white flowers with her eyes. Naruto was actually impressed at how civil the other girl was being.

Not even just civil, Ino was being downright polite! Kind, even!

Apparently Naruto wasn't the only one to change since her academy days. Naruto wrung her hands as Ino tied the sprigs together with a purple ribbon, before dropping it in a bag.

She walked to the opposite side of the room, and began collecting another plant with gloved hands.

"Oh! Baby's Breath isn't that toxic as it is now, but when you dry it out it's irritating to skin, eyes, and lungs. Especially the lungs, actually. It can cause asthma symptoms in people who handle it too often." Naruto said, essentially quoting the notes she'd made in her mini journal.

Ino turned to her in surprise, and Naruto tilted her head. Apparently, the flower girl didn't even know that herself.

"It's not especially poisonous, so I'm going to combine it with leadwort to make a very, very powerful itching powder." Said the whiskered girl, just as Ino finished gathering the foxglove with meticulous hands. The way she tied to the ribbons so artistically showed just how familiar she was with the process.

"That's actually really interesting. Let me guess, you're going to use that itching powder for some prank?" Ino inquired fondly, dropping the bundle of foxglove into a white plastic bag.

Naruto chuckled, "No, no. I'm using it to better experiment with poisons. It's better for me to start with the little stuff, 'ttebayo."

Ino hummed noncommittally, moving to the next plant. Plucking away some of the pretty leadwort with gloved hands, she moved quickly. The methodical nature of her movements vaguely reminded Naruto of the girl's father.

"You know, Naruto... You're a lot different now. I never thought you'd be learning poisons, or in T&I." Ino said, just as she placed the bag of bundled flowers onto the counter. She stepped back behind the cash register, and began calculating Naruto's total.

"You're different too, Ino. I think we've both changed for the better." The girl with twin pigtails replied, getting her froggy wallet out.

Ino laughed, but not in the pleasant way. Naruto's brows knitted together, she could tell just how self-deprecating that chuckle was. It didn't suit Ino at all.

"You think? I dunno know about me, but you've definitely changed for the better. Seriously, you're an actual ninja nowadays." She said, punching in the numbers in the cash register. Catching her wistful tone near the end, Naruto reluctantly asked Ino a more personal question. "Er, is something wrong?" Ino visibly deflated, surprising Naruto greatly.

"Yeah. I guess I've been getting my shit-er, stuff together recently. And, well.." The girl in front of her got visibly frustrated, sighing irritatedly.

"Listen, back in the academy I treated you like trash. I'm really sorry." She said, closing her eyes.

Naruto paused, sucking in a deep breath. Naruto hated seeing people sad, or upset, she really did.

"Don't worry about it. It's in the past now, we were all just stupid kids back then." Naruto said, despite the fact that it wasn't all that long ago now. It felt like eons ago, though. Naruto had rapidly matured since then, grown up, gotten strong, and gotten smart. That Naruto wasn't really someone she recognized.

"Last week, my team and I.. We.." Ino trailed off solemnly, her periwinkle eyes downcast. "First kills, huh?" Naruto asked softly, meeting Ino's gaze with her own blue eyes.

"Yeah. We were so outmatched, if Asuma-sensei wasn't there..." She trailed off yet again, the unspoken words hanging in the air. Naruto hadn't yet made her own first kill, though torturing was considered by many to be far worse than killing. It was easy for her to understand Ino's dilemma.

"A friend of mine and I.. We talked about this recently. Whoever you had to kill, they were a shinobi, right?" Naruto asked softly.

"Yeah." Ino murmured in response. "Then they were just doing their job, same as you. It was them or you, Ino. And I can guarantee they wouldn't have felt bad if you'd been the one to die." Truth was, Naruto couldn't guarantee that. Not at all, no one could. But she was simply trying to pull Ino from the rut she was in. They were by no means friends, but they were both shinobi of the Leaf Village.

Which meant they were comrades, despite any past grievances.

They stood in silence for a moment, before Ino abruptly laughed. "Geez, I really just aired out my drama to you, huh? I almost can't believe it. The ex-dead last and the ex-bully, being all chummy in a flower shop." Ino said sardonically, face-palming. Naruto could only snort.

"I'm not a dead-last anymore, not in the least." Naruto said confidently. "And you're not a bully either, I don't think you ever were. Just on the bitchy side of things." Ino actually laughed, again. A genuine laugh this time, making a weight lift from Naruto's shoulder. Naruto never liked seeing others upset, especially now that she could feel their emotions radiating from them.

"I can tell you're no dead-last, Naruto. You actually knew what you were talking about earlier, an idiot wouldn't know poisonous plants." Sighing, Ino continued.

"I guess that means I should find some specialty of my own. Sakura has been reading medical books recently, and I guess you're doing T&I stuff now. My dad told me I'm a sensory type, but I haven't really focused on it." The blonde said amicably, changing the conversation subject away.  
Naruto gratefully complied, she didn't want to talk about killing or other dark subjects anymore, either.

"Sensor type? That's awesome, I am too! You know, we're super rare. You should definitely work on it, Ino. Sensory-nin are rare and super useful. They always need more of us." Naruto said, grinning brightly. "Wait really? You're a sensor too?" Ino asked, getting excited. She'd never met another sensor her age, and she'd actually needed help refining her own ability. She'd been too nervous to ask her own father, as he was always busy with the duties of clan-head and being one the top shinobi of the Intelligence Division. Her aunt was the only other sensor-nin she knew, and her aunt was always so busy.

"I am! Are you planning to become a serious sensor-nin, or are you aiming for something else?" Naruto asked, leaning against the counter. That was a question Ino didn't really know the answer to, because she hadn't considered it yet.

"Er, I don't really know. I've been told I have excellent chakra control, so.." She trailed off, which Naruto hardly noticed, taking the chance to interrupt.

"You could become a Genjutsu mistress! Or a med-nin, if you wanted to break family tradition. If I were you though, I'd focus on clan techniques first." Although Ino hadn't asked for Naruto's opinion, she'd supplied it anyway. If she could, Naruto would be learning Uzumaki clan techniques. Unfortunately, she didn't even know if there were any. And if they did exist, she had no way of learning them.

"Clan techniques, huh? Not a bad idea, I might actually do that. I've got no desire to spend my whole life doing what Sakura does." She said, distaste working it's way into her words.

"Genjutsu sounds like a good idea, too. My family is pretty good at minor genjutsu, so it wouldn't be hard to get started in." The taller blonde tapped her chin, looking off to the side. "Oh yeah, totally! Your clan uses their genjutsu to aid in their spy-work, right?" The twin-tailed blonde asked.

"Mhm, that's what we're known for." Ino said with a slight smile. "Hey, you could always join the Intelligence Division! Then we could be like distant co-workers!" Naruto suggested, turning that slight smile to a full-blown grin.

That warmed the golden-haired girl's heart, to see Ino go from glum to happy.

Naruto, thinking about how her friendship with Tenten started, got an idea. Before Ino could ever reply to her suggestion, she posed a question.

"Say, Ino.." The other blonde looked up, their blue eyes meeting once again. "Would you, er, like to train with me? I'm free this Wednesday.. I can show you some tricks to better focus your sensory ability. Ours aren't the same, but I know how tough it is to get the hang of a sensory ability." Naruto scratched her whiskered cheek bashfully, unsure of what to expect.

She'd known Ino was one of those extroverted, social butterfly types, but she wasn't sure whether the Yamanaka heiress would want to be seen training with her.

After all, who would want to hang out with the village pariah? Especially when you're someone with a reputation like Ino's…

"That sounds great, we totally should! Where at?" Ino asked, genuinely happy at the prospect.

Since she'd become a shinobi, Ino hadn't had much time to socialize. Her civilian friends from the academy never spoke to her anymore, apparently jealous that she'd accomplished what they couldn't.

Sakura and her..

Well, they'd had a rough relationship since Sasuke got between them. They weren't really friends anymore, just rivals. Hell, Sasuke wasn't even on the Yamanaka heiresses mind anymore. The same couldn't be said for Sakura, though.

Ino never said it, but she really did miss being best friends with the pinkette.

It wasn't just that, though. Ino was overjoyed that Naruto, someone who she'd been mean towards, had forgiven her. The weight of the guilt on her shoulders lifted, leaving her as excitable as could be.

"Well uh, how about outside Training Ground 44? I know it sounds scary, but we won't go into the actual forest. It's actually really quiet and peaceful out there, so you don't need to worry about us being disturbed. Makes for better focus." Naruto was quick to defend her reasoning, as the mere name of Training Ground 44 scared many of the chuunin and genin around here. Naruto understood being wary of the forest itself, but to fear the entire area around it...? Yeah, that was just stupid.

Ino blinked in surprise. "Yeah, okay! I'll be there!" The ponytail wearing girl confirmed, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"Great! I'll see you then!" Naruto said, passing the girl the necessary ryo, and a small tip. She pulled out a storage scroll from its place on her hip, she sealed away the items.

She then practically skipped out, leaving a surprised Ino behind the counter.

Ino took one glance at a nearby calendar, knowing Wednesday was only a few days away.

* * *

 ** _Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Building._**

* * *

Naruto had trained with Ibiki, she'd trained with Anko, but most of the time Inoichi had been too busy to give her one-on-one lessons.

But today, that had changed. Anko and Ibiki were doing their usual torturin' and interrogatin', while Inoichi Yamanaka had taken it upon himself to teach her for the entire day.

She liked Inoichi, she really did. He was fatherly, intelligent, and just about everything else wrapped into one.  
As much as she adored Ibiki and Anko, Inoichi would soon be up there with them. He was cool, even despite being a bit exasperated with her... lack of general knowledge, at times. He clearly aimed to change that, though, judging by the dozens of explanations, technical jargon, and other lectures he schooled her on for the first few hours.  
The moment they'd sat down in his office, the man began teaching.

And hell, was he a good teacher.

"So, what are the three branches of the Intelligence Division?" He asked. That was the first topic he'd covered, something they'd started on the moment she'd entered.

"External, Internal, and T&I!" She chirped, thankful she'd taken notes the entire time. Something she'd picked up from Anko long ago, it came in quite handy.

"Correct. And their function?"

"External refers to the Intelligence division members who exit Konoha, to gather information."

"And who are they? How do they do this?" He asked, leaning in slightly with glowering eyes. The blond was subtly putting on the pressure, something he was good at. From the way his index tapped against the oak desk, to the narrowing of his eyes, it was all deliberate.

He was trying to confuse her, to make her feel afraid. She knew it, and she wouldn't fall for it.  
Nothing short of unloading KI would make her falter.

"The External Division are Konoha's best spies, planted in every potentially-hostile village. Most of them are women posing as prostitutes, waitresses, and the like. They gather their information by eavesdropping, flirting, stealing, and various other methods." She said, steeling herself before those pupil-less blue eyes, which looked like they could be staring into her very soul.

"And what clan makes up the majority of the External Division?" Naruto could feel the pride coming from him in that question, and resisted the urge to scoff.

"The Yamanaka clan are Konoha's number one spies, all of them are trained in deception and infiltration from the beginning. They use a ton of techniques to accomplish what they do, from spy gadgets like recorders, to disguises, to genjutsu and mind techniques." She explained, as Inoichi sat back in his chair.

She nearly sighed in relief, but the blond man was back to quizzing her in a second.

She _almost_ didn't mind. Inoichi at least thought she was smart enough to retain all of this, which was endearing for someone who'd always been considered extraordinarily stupid.

"Correct. So they gather information, but how do they send it back to Konoha?" He asked slowly. This was something he hadn't explained, but it was something she'd read about in the books he assigned her.

Was he testing to see if she'd read them? Heh, he was silly to assume she hadn't. Naruto never stopped working, which included melting her brain with books whenever her body was worked into oblivion.

"Primarily through signs and coded messages hidden in inconspicuous objects, or by communitating them with Konoha's Spymaster. The Spymaster travels to each spy's infiltration area and meets them personally..."

Inoichi was about to explain, but Naruto interrupted.

"We haven't covered the first part yet, but I have a pretty good idea as to how that'd be done." She said, partially out of pride. She wasn't lying, either. When she'd read that part of her book, the mischievous part of her was lit aflame, with all the ideas on how to hide coded letters without raising suspicion.

"Oh, then please, Naruto-kun. Give me an example." He said almost patronizingly, deliberately attempting to make her question herself. That was the one aspect of Inoichi that Naruto really didn't like. Mind games. His were ever-changing, from attempting to humiliate her to intimidation tactics.

Anko always combined the two, while Ibiki focused solely on intimidating. Inoichi however, would do whatever underhanded mind-play it took to elicit a response.

Naruto would gladly admit she thought it was cool.

"Okay... I'll make a hypothetical then..." She said, her mind already at work. Hypotheticals came easy to Naruto, because all those required was a healthy dose of imagination. She had no grasp on logistics or statistics, she just knew from her experience, and used that to shape how she'd imagine the scenario going.

She'd never be a strategist, not in this life or the next, but that hardly mattered. Her brain was built for hypotheticals, someone could just hire a damn Nara to figure out the likelihood of them.

Vaguely, she wondered if that meant she and a certain Nara would make a good team.

"If I were a spy outside of the village, I'd pose as a merchant..." Inoichi raised a brow, prompting her to elaborate. She was good at this, too, planning on the spot.

"I'd sell pumpkins, And when someone came to get information... I'd remove the pumpkin's stem, clean out just enough to slip a coded message inside, and sell the pumpkin to the shinobi sent to retrieve my message." She finished strongly, confident in her idea.

Inoichi looked impressed. "Why pumpkins?"

"No one would ever suspect a pumpkin, dattebayo!" She said, triumphantly. She kept the part about them being pretty and orange to herself.

Sighing, he elected to move on. "You mentioned the Spymaster. What and who is that?"

Even though he was asking questions he already knew, he was nevertheless impressed by Naruto's memorization of what he said. She truly valued the things he had to say, the things he taught her, and it showed. If only she cared what they had to say in the academy, she might've gotten a lot farther than deadlast.

"Konoha's current spymaster is Jiraiya of The Sannin, also our village's fuinjutsu master." Naruto said, stopping to internally realize how important that made him.

If that guy just died, the village would be in shambles. Wasn't he old, too? Like, just twenty years or so younger than the Sandaime? As far as she was considered, Ol Hiruzen was very well a dinosaur at this point.

"A Spymaster is the one in charge of all the spies outside of the village. Therefore, he's the leader of the External Division." She said smugly, when Inoichi blinked in surprise.

He really didn't know how Naruto knew the answer to that one. Maybe it was in the academy textbooks..

"Correct. So if you know the head of External, who are the other two division leaders?"

"You and Ibiki. You're the leader of the internal division, which essentially makes you a top dog of the Intelligence Unit as a whole." She said simply, thrumming her fingers against the wooden arm of the chair she was sitting in.

He rolled his eyes. Of course she knew that, even one of those silly desk-nin at the Research and Development unit would know that. Hell, it would be strange not to.

"I'm impressed you can retain all that, status as an academy dead-last does you no favors." Inoichi said warmly, giving her a ghost of a smile.

"Thanks, 'ttebayo! Wait, that was a compliment, right?"

He blinked.

"Yes, yes it was." He took in a deep breath. "Now then, one more thing before I send you on your way." He clicked his pen, and began quickly and methodically writing on a sheet of notebook paper.

Absently, Naruto noted just how different his writing was in comparison to Ibiki and Anko.

Ibiki wrote slowly, his penmanship was average and indistinct, always one plain white paper with zero mistakes.

Anko was the opposite, with a quick hand that scrawled words as fast as she could manage. She'd write on anything, be it receipts, napkins, cardboard, etc...

(She recalled Anko filling in their D-Rank mission report on a dirty paper-towel. Both of them had somehow forgotten their mini-notebooks that day, and the desk-nin who received that report was not happy.)

Inoichi's writing was different, though. With quick strokes but clean penmanship, and larger letters than necessary. His handwriting was nearly indistinct, but she could see small peculiarities with ease.

"Here. Think of this like an academy project. I expect this to be turned in sometime in the next few weeks." He said, sliding the paper across the desk.

Her face went completely deadpan. He immediately lost a bit of her respect.  
An... Academy... Project...

Naruto hated the Academy. Don't get her wrong, she loved to learn, to grow, to train, and to get stronger. But she hated meaningless quizzes, purposeless homework and projects. Twas the bane of her existence.

Her blue eyes narrowed, taking a sharper appearance than Inoichi thought they could ever have.

"You're shitting me.. Right? I've got a lot goin' on, and you're gonna assign me an academy-grade project?" The blonde spoke with no lack of incredulity, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

He made a strange noise, between a scoff and snort. There went that sweet, academic image of hers. He could see where that dead-last side of her had come from, at least.

"Nope. Just because you're busy doesn't mean you get an out. You shouldn't take on so many things at once if you can't handle them." He said breezily, though the father in him was a bit worried for the girl. Overworking was unhealthy for the mind, even if it seemed Naruto was holding up remarkably well.

He wouldn't coddle her, though. She couldn't neglect her division related studies in exchange for whatever it was that she spent every minute of her free-time on.

He'd heard from Anko that the girl had been going out more recently, though. That was good, since the girl apparently had a friend she was close with.

She was still a kid in his mind, a 14 year old girl, who deserved to have friends and outings. Ino was younger than Naruto, but two years was no difference at all in his mind. He couldn't imagine Ino having to maintain all the studies Naruto did.

Young or not, though, she was a shinobi. Both of them were, hence the need for constant hard work.

Naruto groaned loudly, dramatically, exasperatedly, and everything in between. She sunk in her chair, and then practically slithered out of the chair and onto the ground.

A hand reached up from the floor, yanking the paper away from his desk, before disappearing again.

"Bastard-sensei." He heard the girl mutter, hardly containing his snort.

He shook his head fondly, the damn kid had grown on him like some irremovable mold. If any of his other subordinates called him a bastard, he'd probably have given them a nice ass-kicking.

He stood up to look over his desk, expecting to see Naruto still laying on the floor.

Oddly, the girl had vanished. Literally vanished, as in not gotten up and walked out, via window or door.

He looked around the room in surprise.

"Okay, who the hell taught Naruto the shunshin?" He asked himself, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Yes, give a master-prankster a technique like that, how fucking genius. Now she'd be able to do much worse than switch the salt and sugar containers in the breakroom.

Just fuckin genius, way to go Naruto's senseis!

* * *

 ** _Tenten's House_**

* * *

Throwing her trench-coat aside, Naruto decided she needed to get serious.

She looked over the wounds marring her body, small nicks from kunai having already scabbed up and begun to heal, splotchy bruises already fading. Her blonde hair had long since been pulled into one singular ponytail, just for the time-being.

She was panting, her chest rising and falling quickly as she heaved in shaky breaths.

Her opponent was just as exhausted as she.

Tenten widened her gait, correcting her stance with a kunai still clutched in her hands.

Her doe-like eyes were focused on her sparring partner, who seemed to be getting better everyday. It was nigh impossible for Tenten to beat her in a close-combat fight, because Naruto was just so damn flexible and could dodge anything that came her way.

Before, Tenten had no interest in close-combat, because her teammates excelled in that area and she saw no purpose in getting proficient in it.

However, Naruto had suggested it weeks ago, and Tenten had listened. For all her friend's inexperience, Naruto was great when it came to self-improvement. The brunette found that she actually liked this sort of fighting.

Both of them relied on these spars to keep themselves up to scratch, but they were also so much more. They learned and bonded from exercises like these.

Naruto needed these spars to improve her own weaponry skills, from her kunai and shuriken down to her preferred weapon. Occasionally, her senbon as well.

They both grinned like mad, and Naruto took a scroll from her belt.

Tenten was pushing her towards long-range this entire fight by continually disengaging and throwing weapons. If she kept putting up distance, Naruto would just use something that could go further.

Pulling out her weapon, in it's flail form, Naruto twirled the thick staff in her hand, swinging the ball and chain overhead.

Holding the staff tightly, she swung the weapon down on her friend, knowing well that Tenten could dodge.

The brunette dropped herself as low as she could go, rolling to the side to avoid the spiked ball crashing into the grass next to her.

She leapt back onto her feet, taking stock of what she had left.

She had a sword in one of her many scrolls, but knew that it would be of no use against Naruto's weapon. She had two other scrolls, one containing a volley of shuriken and another full of kunai. However, if she wanted to use them, she needed distance.

Her blonde friend didn't seem keen on letting her have that distance, however. Leaping would only get her wrapped up in Naruto's serrated chain, something she did NOT want.

But Tenten had one idea which spelled her victory.

Her friend rushed at her again, her weapon swinging at Tenten with fever.

Once again Tenten leapt backwards, her friend growling angrily when her weapon missed it's mark yet again.

With aggravated tug, she ripped the spike ball from the desecrated ground of the battlefield- Tenten's yard- looking up just in time.

The brunette was standing on the fencing of her own arm, running through hand seals.

Naruto didn't recognize what that chain of seals did, but she knew it wasn't good.

Overloading her weapon with chakra, it slowly began shifting into a long, razor-sharp chain.

It wasn't fast enough, though, as Tenten finished her hand seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! (Summoning Jutsu)!"

A large cloud of smoke appeared in front of the brunette, hiding her from sight as stray smoke flowed freely around the fence-post.

The blonde stood frozen when a large, beige hawk soared from the smoke and flew into the sky overhead.

Shaking her head, throwing herself out of her stupor, just to pout helplessly.

Her chain had a very long reach, but it wasn't long enough to grapple onto that damn bird. Besides, chains weren't exactly meant to grab things from the sky. They weren't lassos.

"No fair!" The blonde cried out, folding her arms,

"LIFE ISN'T FAIR!" Tenten shouted from above, causing the blonde to scowl. "Hope you crash!" Naruto shouted, "That's so mean!" The brunette replied, before taunting.

"Besides, my hawks never crash!" She said, checking her nails cockily as the bird flew in circles above the training field.

"Whatever, I concede. You win, Bunny. I've gotta head out anyway." The blonde said, causing the brunette to soar down to the ground.

Her hawk disappeared in a puff of smoke, and she landed gracefully on her feet.

That showed Naruto just how much practice Tenten had been doing, if she was capable of sticking a landing so gracefully.

"Aww, so soon? We haven't even had lunch yet!" The brunette whined childishly, causing Naruto to snort.

"We see each other all the time, 'ttebayo. We will survive." She said dryly.

"Fine, fine! Go spend time with your other bestie!" Tenten made a shoo-ing motion with her hand, while hardly keeping the fake-offended expression on her face.

"Ara, bunny-chan, you're my one and only!" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, getting a deadpan expression.

Only the elbow to the ribs Tenten gave her wiped away the smug expression.

"In your dreams, maybe." The bun-headed girl taunted.

"That elbow didn't hurt nearly as bad as your scathing rejection! How will I ever heal?" She said, in a pained voice, clenching her chest dramatically.

"Well-" She was interrupted, by an extremely dramatic blonde.

"I'll never love again! The illness we humans call heartbreak has gripped my soul, and it may ne-" "Get well soon, I guess."  
The blonde, who was clutching her chest with one hand with another hand daintily over her forehead, scrunched her face up.

"Evil wench." She said plainly. "You really should've been an actor, Naru-chan."Tenten replied, as she began cleaning up the remnants of their spar.

"Why thank you, Bunny!" She said flipping a blonde pigtail, before resealing her weapon.

"Who said it was a compliment?" The brunette asked smugly.

"Whatever happened to sweet, well-mannered Tenten, without a mean or devious bone in her body?!" The blonde pretend-wailed, returning her scrolls to their place on her leg garters.

Pausing for only a minute, Tenten smiled deviously at her own wit. "She met you, of course."

The blonde went blank, before scratching her cheek neutrally. A slight shrug, "That's fair." She accepted, entirely nonchalantly.

Her and Tenten were beyond comfortable with one another at this point, they could wish death on one another, death on their favorite house-plant, or death on their favorite sword, and neither of them would even be upset by it. Had anyone else heard the way they taunted one another, they might think the girls had some thinly veiled hatred for one another. They'd be entirely wrong, of course.

"Well. be seein ya!" Naruto said, throwing up a peace-sign before disappearing in a tornado of leaves.

Tenten snorted, apparently her friend needed a subtle way to show how easily she could do the shunshin now. Rolling her eyes, she looked around the yard.

"Wait a minute.. That cheeky brat left me to do all the cleaning up myself!" She said, completely aghast.

Unfortunately for the brunette, the whiskered girl was already long gone, shunshinning directly into the shop of a nearby store. One she'd already visited this week.

Appearing from another tornado of leaves, she made direct eye-contact with the shell-shocked blonde behind the counter.

* * *

 ** _Yamanaka Flower Shop_**

* * *

Naruto knew Ino hadn't expected her again soon, by the droves of confusion she could feel radiating from the blonde.

"Uh, It's not Wednesday already, is it?" Ino asked, blinking owlishly.

"Nope, just need to pick up some flowers." Naruto said breezily, eyes straying around the shop.

Ino smiled, "What's the occasion?" She asked slyly, almost tempted to tease the girl about a potential love interest.

"Visiting the cemetery." The other blonde replied, without even missing a beat.

Ino couldn't contain the wince that came from that rather blunt statement. And despite her curiosity, Ino knew better than to ask. Her and Naruto might be planning to train together, but they weren't close yet. If Naruto was visiting a dead relative, or even friend, she wouldn't stick her nose in it.

At least not outright..

"I'll help you make a bouquet, if you'd like. Flowers have pretty specific meanings, so you don't want to buy random ones." Ino offered.

"Er, right.. I want a red and orange bouquet, but that's all I know."

Ino paused, "Well, if you're going for red and orange majority, you can get chrysanthemums. Those are for deceased loved ones, and come in many colors."

"Okay, that works.." She said uneasily, as Ino came out from behind the counter with some ribbon and a pair of scissors.

The flaxen-haired Yamanaka moved to a large planter full of vibrant colored flowers.

"A bouquet usually isn't just one flower, though, so what else?"

Naruto stared at her blankly, did this girl really think she knew anything about normal flowers?

The other blonde sighed, apparently reading her mind.

"Alright then, marigolds symbolize fragility of life, so we'll add some of those. Carnations are to honor a mother who's passed, roses can be used to honor a loved one in general, and-"

"Maybe use both?" Naruto proposed, scratching her cheek.

Well, that quelled Ino's curiosity, in a fairly grim way. Naruto had essentially just told her she had a dead mother, likely without even thinking about it.

Ino quickly went to work, assembling the bouquet without any further questions. She used both white and red carnations, white lillies, sunflowers, bicolor orange and red roses, two brilliant sunflowers, multicolor alstroemeria, and pale yellow snapdragons.

All in all, Ino was proud of the arrangement she'd created. The soft yellow blended with the whites, while the bold and eye-catching marigolds blended into the orange of the roses.

The alstroemeria were scarlet, crimson, and soft orange, and the sunflowers stood out in their brilliant shade of gold.

She rolled the stems up in clear plastic, containing the flowers as she began artistically tying a thick burgundy ribbon to hold it shut.

Naruto had watched the entire time, with a slight bit of awe at just how great Ino was at her job. Truly, the girl must be the best florist in all of Konohagakure.

"Do you like it?" The purple-clad Yamanaka asked, dusting off the bottom of her dress.

"Yeah, it's really beautiful, 'ttebayo." It was also quite huge, but that part went unsaid.

Naruto hadn't the slightest idea of who her mother was, or if she even liked flowers. But even if the woman wasn't the flower type, she'd surely see the splendor in such an exquisite bouquet.

"Great!" The Yamanaka was now behind the counter yet again, punching in the keys as she calculated her fellow blonde's total.

Naruto pulled out her wallet, internally noting that now that she did constant D-ranks, poor little Gama-chan (her wallet) was on the verge of splitting at the seams. As annoying as they were, they certainly paid more than that measly orphan stipend she'd gotten before.

She was at least left with spending money nowadays, something she was grateful for. The days of scraping up change to buy dinner were behind her.

She pulled out the necessary pay, handing it to the blonde behind the counter.

"I'll see you in a few days, Fish-cakes." Ino said softly, getting a smile as Naruto started to walk away.

"Yeah, see you then, Ino-chan."

She absently thumbed the plastic wrapped around the flowers, feeling the smooth material graze against her thumb.

She made her way towards the cemetery, knowing it's location, though she'd never been.

* * *

Konoha's cemetery was rather large, accommodating both civilians and shinobi alike. Each half was reserved for one, the eastern side being for civilians and the west for Shinobi. Shinobi had tombstones, only if their remains could be recovered. Otherwise, they ended up on the memorial stone. That was something taught in the academy, though most kids never paid attention to that lesson.

Shinobi from clan's were buried alongside one another, with extravagant headstones around fancy mausoleums. The fancy mausoleums, Naruto guessed, were for the Clan' head's immediate family.

The paranoid part of Naruto wondered if having shinobi bodies so out in the open was any kind of security risk. She knew from her time in the Intelligence division that shinobi bodies held secrets, which could be extracted even after death. Seriously, that seemed irresponsible.

She frowned at her own thoughts, was she becoming callous? Or just used to the topic of death?

Her blue eyes wandered the cemetery, taking in the many mausoleums and tombstones dotting the landscape. She could see the names of each clan on their respective monuments, from the enormous Senju and Sarutobi to the much smaller Kurama clan.

She sighed, her eyes landing on a rather innocuous monument, all on it's own.

Uzumaki, the upright cement marker read. Beneath it, only one headstone sat.

She closed her eyes, searching the area for any chakra signatures. She expected to see some ANBU hiding around here, alas, there were none.

As if she were a mile above her body, she could see the entire aerial view of the cemetery. There wasn't a single other person around the perimeter, or within it. Though, she could make out a hazy silhouette approaching rather sluggishly. It was quite clearly a shinobi, but she couldn't make out the slightest detail. Not like it mattered, she'd just make this quick, and then head out.

She speed-walked to the headstone, the one that assuredly kept her mother's remains. Much like with every expensive other gravestone, it was made of fine marble.

Sitting on her knees, she inhaled a shaky breath.

"Uh, hey.. It's me, your daughter." She greeted, quite uneasily. Her eyes scanned the gravestone, spotting something which had been knocked over. She laid the bouquet down, against the marble stone. "Old man Hokage told me my parents were dead, but never who they were.. So, I'm sorry for not visiting sooner. But hey, I visited you before dad! That's something right? I mean, even if I wanted to visit him first, I'm not supposed to know.. I think, if somehow the Sandaime discovered I was visiting you, he'd be okay with how I found out. I mean, you're the only Uzumaki buried over here. It's like, context clues, 'ttebayo." She could feel her eyes wettening as she forced herself to swallow up the feelings rising in her.

"Yeah, I know I'm a bit on the paranoid side of things, but it doesn't hurt. Anywho, I guess I should tell you about myself.." She paused, steadying herself.

"I'm fourteen now, I was one of the older kids to graduate from the Academy. It's not very impressive, I know. I was a dead-last, too. I'm doing great, now, though. I've got extra money left from missions, and I usually spend it with my friend Tenten. Oh, and Tenten! She's like a sister to me, she's real kind. There's Anko, too. She's like a cool older sister, even if she's a dango-addicted sadist. Um, and there's Inoichi and Ibiki! I didn't mention it, but I work in T&I." She laughed, before taking in a deep breath.

"I doubt that's what any parent wants to hear about their kid, but you probably can't even hear me, so what's it matter anyway. Ibiki and Inoichi are like your cool uncles, even if Ibiki is all emotionally constipated. Last week, someone pranked him so hard, they put up a picture of him smiling in his office. Man, he was pissed! It's like my prank addiction is spreading, it's awesome." Naruto continued, her bright smile lighting up her features.

"I work real hard, too, though. I'm learning seals, Anko's super cool taijutsu style, poison, senbon, stupid T&I stuff.. Seriously T&I is like being in the academy again, but you do torture and interrogation instead of weapon practice and spars. I thought when I got promoted to an official member, that would be it. Apparently, it means that they have to pound every bit of their wisdom into your head. Inoichi even gave me a project! A project, 'ttebayo!"

She sighed yet again, "Well, this is fun, but some shinobi is gonna be entering the cemetery in a few, and I don't wanna be seen.." She paused, her eyes landing on that thing which had been knocked over.

She flipped it over, and with her other hand wiped off the layer of dust over the glass.

It was a picture.

A picture of her mother.

She smiled, chuckling. "You were beautiful, kaa-san." She muttered, looking at the beautiful redhead in the picture. Naruto couldn't help but snort at how different their coloring was. Her mother was pale, she was tan, her mother had violet eyes, while hers were cerulean.

The blonde closed her eyes yet again, to study her surroundings. The silhouette from before was closer now, and in a few minutes he'd be close enough to see her. She _really_ didn't want to get caught here.

"You won't mind me taking this, right?" She said, patting the gravestone as if it were a shoulder or back.

She began gathering her chakra for the shunshin, before smiling. "Thanks. That guy is almost here now, so I've gotta go. I love you."

And just like that, Naruto Uzumaki disappeared in a cloud of smoke. For the first time in maybe forever, Naruto felt something new. Closure.

As for the approaching shinobi, he didn't even notice the cloud of smoke, nor the flowers resting atop the gravestone of Kushina Uzumaki.

Instead, his focus was on speaking with a memorial stone himself.

He crouched down at the KIA memorial, the one for bodies which hadn't been recovered. The stone which held the names of his two deceased teammates, Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara.

"I've failed again, Rin, Obito. Sensei's daughter.. I've abandoned her. She deserves one of you here with her, not me."

* * *

Ino Yamanaka, for all she was, was not someone easily swayed. When she'd told her aunt how she'd be spending her Wednesday afternoon, the numerous warnings the woman had given her hadn't deterred her in the least.

Despite her aunt's insistence, Ino was getting dressed in her training outfit, and she was going, come hell or high water.

"Just wait until your father hears about this, young lady!" Her aunt declared, as Ino slammed her bedroom door in the woman's face.

"Tell him!" She shouted, as she began changing into her typical ninja wear.

She was rather upset with how her aunt had reacted, calling Naruto names and demanding she shouldn't go near the village pariah.

Ino's mother had always said though, that things like prejudice were more ugly than anything physical. She supposed she finally understood why her mother and her aunt held so much animosity towards one another.

She wasted no time in getting ready, sliding on her sandals and checking her appearance in the mirror. She always kept a spare pair of sandals under bed, in case she needed to make a sneaky escape. Which was more often than she'd like to admit.

As she brushed through her blonde hair, she couldn't help but think. Why the hell did everyone hate Naruto, anyway? She'd been mean to the girl herself, but mostly because her fellow blonde was always loud and asking out Sakura.

The adults should be mature enough to set things like that aside, even Naruto's pranks weren't worthy of being called a demon.

She scoffed.

So what if Ino had a habit of befriending "people she shouldn't?" Seriously, what was wrong with Sakura or Naruto? Apparently her aunt hated them both. She was so unlike her other, cool aunt, who was a sensor.

Inori, was her cool aunt's name. Henceforth, the mean aunt would be known as Miserable Hag.

Ino put her ear against the door, hearing no noise coming from downstairs. Great! That meant her aunt had left to find her dad. That'd be just enough time for her to sneak out and meet with Naruto-chan!

She opened her bedroom door, and quietly snuck out, as silent as a mouse as she made her way through the hallway and down the stairs.

Three steps away from freedom, the aged boards made a loud creaking noise.

Damn, Ino thought as she heard footsteps coming nearer. She really should've used the window. She'd keep that in mind for next time.

She forced herself to smile nonchalantly, though the sweatdrop on the back of her neck and the widened eyes really gave it away.

"Ino-chan." Her father's stern voice said, she could've swore she was sweating bullets by now.

"Yes..?" She asked, turning her head slowly, to meet his gaze.

The man's arms were folded, but he held some sort of black plastic bag in one hand.

"Here, your mother made these for you and Naru-kun. You're growing girls, you need to have enough to eat." Her dad shook the bag slightly, as if gesturing she should take it.

Ino blinked, before her face split into a genuine smile. She gladly took the bag, seeing the two bento boxes inside. She loved her mom and dad, she really did. The moment she'd lost her friendship with Sakura, they'd been there for her. When she'd tried all those dangerous fad diets to try and become prettier than Sakura, they'd been there to force her to eat healthy. And now, when she was on her way to befriending the village pariah, they supported her like good parents should.

Her heart felt so warm, it might just catch aflame.

"Thanks, I'll be back soon!" She said, rushing out the door.

As the large oak doors closed behind her, she could've sworn she heard her dad chuckle. She sighed in relief, of course her dad would be cool with Naruto. He worked with her, after all! She'd been worried for nothing, she realized, as she ran towards the exit of the clan compound.

The warm summer sun of Konoha shone down on her, and every other citizen she passed on the streets as she headed towards the most infamous training area in the entire village. She was practically skipping by the time she arrived, her eyes immediately landing on a blonde girl laying on the dirt ground. She held a thick red book in her hands, a befuddled expression on her face.

"Hey, Ino-chan."

Several books lay scattered around her, while another exact copy of the twin-tailed girl waved, sitting on a tree branch.

Ino glanced at one, and then the other. "I'm the clone, in case you were wondering." The one with the red book said, looking up from the text she'd been reading.

The purple-clad blonde blinked, just as the one on the ground disappeared. "Lousy shadow clones! What are they even good for!" The cerulean eyed girl grumbled, before continuing. "Don't answer that. They're pretty useful." She said with a sigh, leaping from the tree.

Landing perfectly upright, without even the slightest flinch, Naruto smiled. "I know it sounds lame, but, meditation is probably where we should start. Let me get these books picked up and we can start."

"I'll help!" Ino said abruptly, bending and scooping up the scattered text books. She briefly wondered if Naruto had clones reading all of these, or if she'd just been here so long she'd burned through them already. Giving the girl a sly glance, she questioned just how much Naruto had changed since the academy.

She picked up a teal book, her fingers tracing the cover as she decided to bring attention to the bang on her arm.

"My mom packed us lunch, so um, if you want, we can eat when we're done! Only if you want to, though! Maybe yo-"

"Totally, 'ttebayo! I'll never decline free food!" She interrupted, catching Ino's full attention. Their blue eyes met, and Naruto continued. "You know, you should hang out with me and my friend Tenten one of these days, we go out and get lunch together from time to time. We're both weirdos though, so it might taint your reputation." She teased, causing the Yamanaka to roll her eyes.

"Whatever, I think it'd be a good look for me. Hangin' out with the village's rebel girl will only make me cooler." Naruto laughed boisterously, "Rebel girl?" She asked incredulously.

Ino looked her up and down, a smirk clear on her face. "Uh, what else would you call that?" She said, raising a brow. "The dark clothes, flagrant disrespect for authority, pranking-"

"Okay, okay, I get it! I think I'd call it badass, but 'rebel girl' works too, I guess." Naruto said with fake exasperation dripping from her voice.

The Yamanaka heiress couldn't fight off a smile, knowing she liked this new Naruto a lot already. Passing the books she'd collected, Naruto clapped her hands together after sealing them away.

"You know, Naruto, I think I'll take you up on that offer. I could use some cool new friends."

Naruto grinned, "Hell yeah! We're gonna be a trio!"

* * *

 ** _TRAINING GROUND 9_**

* * *

It wasn't the first time Naruto had spent extra time training with Tenten and the rest of Team 9. Most of the time, it went swimmingly. She'd have a friendly spar with Lee or Tenten, exercise till her muscles turned to mush, and then watch Gai and Lee be their weird selves. That was a better show than what you could find on television.

Today, she'd expected no different. Well, until she was left alone with Neji.

She'd been minding her own business, practicing her aim with her senbon, when Neji decided he simply _could not_ shut up.

"I don't see why you waste your time trying to learn something you clearly have no talent in. Stick to kunai and shuriken." Naruto swore she could hear an unspoken name-call at the end of that declaration.

Even so, that was about the hundredth rude remark he'd made, and her patience was wearing thin.

"Tch. You always brag to Tenten about the many things you're studying. Do you study so many different things because you are incapable of becoming proficient in any of them? Or perhaps, did growing up as a street rat make you incapable of committing to anything?"

Had anyone asked, Neji would likely have admitted to that remark being intentionally inflammatory. Truth was, he was getting quite frustrated with how the blonde never listened to his advice or criticism.

He was aloof and quiet at the best of times, so the fact that he had wasted breath trying to make her understand something he had no obligation to inform her of..  
It got under his skin, unlike anything else.

"Who do you think you are to tell me that?" She fought the urge to scream, her voice raised nonetheless.

"I am a chuunin, and Hyuuga. In other words, your _superior."_ He hissed.

"Oh wow! You've got a promotion and a fancy clan name, you're totally better than me!" She said sarcastically, before turning her back to him completely.

Neji narrowed his eyes dangerously at the audacity of the girl. She turned her back to him, which was like a dozen insults all at once. One, it showed she cared little for his commentary or stance, two, it deemed him as no threat to her. As less than a threat, merely dirt, not worthy of even her glance.

"Hn, we both know that I could annihilate you in any spar, my advice should not be so easily cast aside." He declared pridefully.

She grit her teeth, "Oh yeah?" She seethed, her jaw clenched tight.

"Spar with me, and I'll prove it."

She instantly turned to look at him in those damned white eyes of his.

Naruto was blinded by her anger, temporarily forgetting that it wasn't wise to spar in taijutsu with a Hyuuga.

Not like Gai or Tenten was here to stop them, though.

She accepted Neji's spar, and instantly threw a wild haymaker at his stupid porcelain face.

The fight began exactly then.

Neji struck towards her shoulder, his hand poised for the Hyuuga Jyuken style of fighting.

She expertly weaved away, causing his strike to harmlessly fly past her. Furiously, he continued attempting to strike her with his chakra-empowered fingers, but Naruto was an expert in evasion.

Much like a snake, she made use of excellent flexibility to contort her body and dodge, every single strike.

That was, until Neji got far too close.

Aiming a strike at her thigh, Naruto knew then she had no chance of dodging, aside from throwing herself to the ground.

Even that was shoddy, and could potentially worsen the blow by making it strike somewhere else.

But if she took the hit, she could make a move that would turn the tables and put her on the offense.

She'd barely even had the time to think that through before the painful jab connected, launching her into action. A jyuuken strike was excruciating, like a flaming dagger being stabbed into your flesh, but with no burns or cuts to show for it. The pain existed solely in the tenketsu, something the blonde had never experienced before then. Still, Naruto wouldn't allow one measly strike to get her down. She was nothing if not an endurance freak.

Just as Neji connected his dominant hand to the tenketsu in her thigh, she used every bit of speed she had to throw a punch into his face.

He'd seen it just in time, obviously, his active byakugan could see 360 degrees. But that didn't mean he could stop it.

Their speed was near-matched, but her foresight had made her see an upcoming opening in his stance.

Not many would've even considered allowing a jyuuken strike to land on them, even if it meant they'd get a blow in. But Naruto wasn't like many.  
Her fist connected right above his nose, knuckles crashing into his head making a loud crack. They both knew that was a broken bone.

Blood poured from Neji's nose, the byproduct of the temporal bone being cracked in the aftermath of her force. Lee had never even struck at his face during one of their spars, but he and Lee were never this brutal with one another.

This was not a friendly spar, it was an all-out fight. He grabbed his nose with both hands, and Naruto put distance between the two, sucking in ragged breaths as she leapt away.  
With one hand, he dug a kunai from his pouch and threw it at her. She growled lowly in her throat.

"Just give up. You are fated to lose. Clan or not, you are no match for a Hyuga."

"Shut the hell up! Fate isn't even real! It's just something people tell themselves to feel better about having no control over their lives!" She shouted down at him, shifting her weight onto her good leg.

"Fool! You know nothing!" He retorted scathingly, enraging the blonde even further.

She threw three more senbon, then five, and then ten.

Yet Neji dodged them all, despite the fact that Naruto was focusing her senbon with as much deadly precision as she could muster.

Throwing needles littered the field, all around Neji, who had hardly broken a sweat in dodging them all. Taking a handful of senbon, she threw them one after the other, quickly enough to be a hail of senbon falling all at once.  
Not one of them met their mark, instead landing in a circle around him. His eyes stared at the senbon, a smirk nearly forming on his face.

The egotistic teen hadn't even realized why they'd landed in that particular formation, until a kunai was thrown by the blonde. Three, actually. One overhead, one to his left, and one to his right.

He'd barely had enough time to react, bending away from the kunai above and to his left.

He'd expected that the right thrown kunai would be gone by the time he'd leaned that way, but it wasn't the case, causing the kunai aimed for his right side to barely nick his shoulder.

She'd thrown them at separate times, but used different amounts of force to make them travel alongside one another.

Their eyes met, the palest shade of lavender staring into the most vibrant of blues.

And they were pissed.

Naruto, because she'd emptied her entire pack of senbon on the bastard to get nowhere, not even when she'd tried to box him in. And Neji, because he'd managed to get nicked by a fucking kunai. A kunai. It was hardly a big wound, not even an inch deep. It had grazed him nonetheless, when it shouldn't have even had the chance.

The branch had fallen to the ground behind her, from the sheer force of her chakra bearing down on it when she leapt off.

Angrily, she yanked her weapon scroll from it's place on her hip, unraveling it in an instant as she landed back on the ground.

Sprinting towards him with chakra-enhanced legs, her footprint was burned into the ground behind her, leaving impressive scars on Training Ground 9.

Neji's eyes narrowed as he leapt away, "It does not matter how many weapons you use, you will still fail! I am a chuunin, a Hyuuga! You are nothing!" He screamed at her, his near-stoic facade finally cracking entirely.

He was visibly seething, his teeth gritted in anger as she pulled a flail out of the scroll.

He could see she was pumping chakra into the weapon, to which it greedily sucked up.

She ran at him wildly, swinging the weapon like a club.

His normal method of evading was simply weaving away, similar to her own, but it would do no good against a flail.

A flail, unlike a club, had much more flexibility because of the chain attaching the spike-ball and the handle.

He was entirely on the defense, and was nearly considering using the 64 Palm Heavenly Rotation to retake the offense. But he'd only just began learning it, as Hiashi had only recently entrusted him with learning that main-house technique.

There was no guarantee it would work, and even if it did, it could be lethal for the blonde.

He decided not to waste his chakra on that attack, instead focusing on getting that weapon away from her. It was an unknown variable, and it was giving her too much power over the fight.

"THERE IS NO SUCH FUCKING THING AS FATE YOU FUCKING JERK!" She screamed, bringing that flail down from overhead.

Regrettably, Neji hadn't been paying much attention to her when he thought out his plan, which was how she'd managed to get this close.

He dropped, rolling away from where the weapon was aiming.

It was too late for the blonde to correct her target, causing the flail to collide into the dirt ground.

The spiked ball left yet another small crater as she yanked it out, one of many signs of her repeated failures in this fight.

Flecks of dirt landed on the girl, but she paid no mind to the condition she was in. Pushing more chakra into the weapon, it transformed into a meteor hammer.

Swinging the hefty weapon one-handed forced Neji to accept just how physically strong his opponent was.

"You speak as if you know anything of this world, but you are just a pathetic orphan. Fate defines everything in our world, when we wake, when we eat, all of it! You were born into this world to be the pathetic last scrap of the Uzumaki clan, while I was burdened to be one of the servant side-branch members of the Hyuuga." Neji was damn near calm as he explained, as if he were educating an idiot child.

"Something tells me you only believe in fate to make yourself feel better." She muttered, wiping sweat from her forehead.

And once again, Neji's calm facade was shattered.

"What did you just say!?" He shouted at her, his lips in a heinous snarl. "I said.. You only believe in fate to make yourself feel better."  
He was about to interject, but she continued.

"I don't know shit about the Hyuuga. It sounds pretty fucked up to have side branches to make people into servants, but that doesn't mean fate is real! You got dealt shitty cards, so you'd rather believe the entire game is against you than accept it and try to change the outcome." She used a euphemism that she believed he would understand, though she doubted it would get through to him.

If that didn't, Naruto mused, her fists would.

"How dare you compare lives to some card game! I was born into the side-branch, just as my father before me! He died in service to the main-branch and I will be forced to do the same!" He screamed at her, his voice nearly breaking at the mention of his father.

They'd both gone still, recuperating as they fought with words instead of fists.

Naruto paused only for a moment, inhaling deeply.

"Death is the only instance of fate that actually exists. We all die. But no ones stopping you from just keeling over by your own hands. You're obligated to die for them, maybe... But there's always other options." She said the last part weakly.

Naruto hadn't spent much time thinking on philosophy, but she truly believed what she said. There were always other options.

"Do you think my father had any other option than to die for Hiashi!? Do you truly think he would've died for him and left his only son if he had another option?!"  
Naruto had no clue what the hell he was talking about, so she answered with the one thing she could come up with.

"I don't fucking know, ask Hiashi! That doesn't change what I said, you could still die whenever the fuck you wanted! Death is the only thing we are all fated to do..." She paused to take in a deep breath.

"By waking up and trying everyday, you're defying fate. Because you could always just lay there and wait to die." She summarized, partially hoping she'd changed his mind with only that... and also partially hoping she'd get a chance to punch the bastard again.

He was red-faced purely from his anger, "Silence, you moronic wench!" He screamed, rushing forward at a blindingly fast speed.

She raised her weapon, but Neji dropped low to the ground and kicked her hand with full force.

The result was two audible cracking noises as the weapon flew out of her grasp, Naruto clenching her teeth and groaning in pain. Only able to watch, as her meteor hammer was nailed to a tree when Neji tossed a kunai into the gap of it's chain.

The girl growled, backing away as she studied her hands.

Both her pinky finger and her ring finger ached in pain, both of which clearly broken. Her other fingers looked sprained at most, though the other pinky and ring finger were clearly broken and maybe dislocated.

He tossed a volley of shuriken

at her, Naruto using her good leg to fly over them. Her other leg hadn't been rendered entirely useless, but it still hurt like a bitch and felt ten times heavier than it should.

Their fight had raged on for nearly ten minutes now, both of them should've been verging on exhaustion. But aside from the pain in her thigh and fingers, Naruto felt fine to fight on. She knew that was the adrenaline and anger speaking, but that didn't change her mind. Her lungs and muscles burned from overexertion, as did the boy before her. They were both worse for wear, but neither would just give up. Not yet, at least.

She would not give up. That simply wasn't how Naruto Uzumaki did things.

With her weapon gone, she would be forced back into hand-to-hand combat. One of her legs and one of her arms were in perfect condition to continue. She had extreme pain in her broken fingers, but the throbbing of the tenketsu in her thigh had died down to a pulsing ache.  
It was movable, and she had a meager amount of chakra flowing through it.  
If she hadn't agitated it earlier by running with weight on it, her advanced healing and regeneration would've probably made the pain disappear to something more dull.

Even though she knew that, she once again shifted her weight on her bad leg.

Whilst Neji had been focused on nailing her weapon to a tree, his arm remained raised upwards with a second kunai at the ready, to ensure the weapon was rendered useless.  
In the split second where his side was unguarded, was when Naruto raised her good leg. With chakra reinforced strength, she swung every ounce of her strength at him, and kicked him in his exposed side. Once again, Neji had seen it coming just in time, but been unable to act fast enough.

The blonde felt her foot impact into his rib-cage, the bones cracking under the sheer force. Internally, she winced for him.

The kick sent Neji tumbling, nearly sending him flying, if it weren't for the chakra he'd enhanced his feet with.

He coughed blood into his hand as he forced himself to straighten back into a battle stance, now covered in dirt and pieces of grass.

Both of them were a mess, though Neji seemed to be worse. He didn't understand how the blonde could take a hit to the tenketsu in her thigh and still move that leg, though he knew he'd gone easy with his strike. Lethal or crippling force was not to be used against fellow Konoha nin, but she still shouldn't have been able to use her leg.  
However, Neji didn't have time to try and understand that.

His movement was getting slower, sloppier from his rage and his weariness. He needed to end this as soon as possible. But his mind couldn't stop straying from those words she'd said to him.

Was fate really nothing but bullshit? Was he only telling himself that so he could feel better?  
Maybe he should ask Hiashi..

Upon loss of the pain in her thigh, the blonde realized her leg was now going completely numb. Not even just her thigh, she could only feel her lower calf and  
foot at this point.  
An unwelcome sensation, as that somehow made it even harder to walk on. Regardless, she'd gotten Neji good with that last kick, despite that it had only been a lucky shot.

The two closed the distance between them for the umpteenth time, and she immediately tried to take up offense. This proved to be a mistake, as Neji caught her fist. With his free hand, he disabled the tenketsu in her wrist, causing her to hiss in pain.

She yanked her arm away, noting how she couldn't feel a single finger in her hand now. The pain was solely in her wrist, spreading towards her elbow.

That strike must've been significantly more powerful than the one he'd used on her thigh, she realized.

He aimed another strike for her forearm, barely having enough time to graze it as she contorted away from the strike.

Her forearm was now experiencing a lesser ache than the initial pain of the blow to her thigh, forcing the blonde to rethink her harebrained strategy.

Her evasion would begin to suffer by now, and Naruto knew she needed distance.

Using her good leg to leap back, Neji didn't move a muscle.

Naruto assumed he was scheming something, but she would be wrong.

When Neji became a chuunin, Hiashi had suddenly begun training him directly, alongside his own children. At the time, Neji had thought it was simply to make him the best servant he could be. Now, he wasn't so sure... But that wasn't just it.

Upon becoming a chuunin, one is forced to learn the value of teamwork and camaraderie. He'd thought he'd learned that when he stopped being so snide towards his teammates, accepting them as they were.

But when he'd met Naruto, he'd seen how she valued Tenten, and later Lee too. She saw them, treated them, as friends.

He'd refrained from using any lethal force during this spar, and he'd considered that to be cordial, chuunin behavior.

But she'd been fighting with the desire to make him see something, see his belief in fate was 'foolish.'

While he'd been fighting for the sake of beating her back into her place.

Something within him felt very wrong, but he couldn't place it. Shame? Disgust, guilt? He wasn't even sure which.

Out of the two of them, she was fighting for what seemed like the right reasons.

She'd treated him just like Tenten and Lee, always trying to befriend him and be kind despite his attitude.

Yet he hadn't even seen her as anything to be cordial towards, instead opting to provoke her and start this very fight.

But he couldn't just abandon fate because of one person. There would simply be no way, not unless she truly managed to prove him wrong. Despite his exhaustion, despite his muddled thoughts, he rushed back in, the girl raised her arms to fight him.  
His mind was in shambles, all he could think to do was defend his dying ideology. Cast all of those thoughts aside, and fight.

In her blue eyes, he could only see cold-hard determination.

She would not lose, he could see it in her eyes. But he didn't want to lose, either, for losing would mean too many things. Most generally, it would mean that he had been wrong.  
He immediately began aiming strikes wherever he saw an opening, while she weaved away from his hands with refined flexibility.

It was just as it was at the very beginning of their fight; A fight which nearly resembled some deadly form of dance.

Though, this time they were both injured and edging on haggard.

She threw hits only when there was a high chance of actually landing them, such was one of the fundamentals of the Hebi Taijutsu style.

While both the Hyuuga and Snake style of taijutsu relies on flexibility and smooth evasion, the Hyuuga style focuses on precise, quick jabs. The Hebi/Snake style relies on powerful blows and using the opponents every weakness.

It was like a combination of both his and Lee's style, making Neji and Naruto damn near perfect combatants for one another.

Neji didn't know how the girl was still managing to fight. The tenketsu in her wrist was closed, while her other had two severely mangled fingers from his earlier kick.  
Both of them were breathing heavily, when Neji half-heartedly poised his hand with a strike that would end the fight.  
He was aiming right for her chest. Right for her _heart_.

The world seemed to slow, Naruto barely having the time to raise her arms in a cohesive block.  
It was instincts alone that had saved her from that deadly strike.

Her arm, which was the comparably good one, had been the one to take the strike. It landed right into her forearm, not closing the tenketsu on her wrist or elbow. Instead, it sent a ripple of pain through her arm.  
With her numb right arm, which had only made it halfway when the strike connected.. She swung her full weight at him, unable to move her fingers to even make a fist.

The mobility in her hand had been nearly gone, but she had just enough in her shoulder and elbow to bitch-slap the boy so hard he saw double.

The noise of the slap quite literally echoed throughout the empty, nearly destroyed training field.

His fair skin began to bruise immediately, his lip also busting from the impact alone.

Her arms fell back to her side limply, and they were both frozen in place.

It occurred to Neji that he'd nearly killed the blonde, but his mind was more focused on the burning pain in his face.  
First, it had been his nose and brow-bone, and now his cheek and lip. He had bitten his tongue when the slap struck, but that was the furthest thing from his mind.

He'd nearly used lethal force on a comrade. One who mostly meant well.  
It was her proficiency that had saved her life. And now, he was exhausted and ready to pass out. Or maybe she'd given him a concussion with that hit.

His scrambled mind was running wild. He, a Hyuuga, had been beat around by a genin. And nearly killed her.  
He'd nearly decided her fate, but she saved herself.

Naruto was staring at the boy in barely hidden confusion. He'd had plenty of openings now to continue, but he was just dazedly staring off into the distance.

"Er, no hard feelings, right?" She asked weakly, her entire body aching for a variety of reasons. She'd asked merely to be funny, to ease the awkward silence at least.

It only got more awkward when Neji tried to reply.

While lost in his thoughts, he hadn't realized his mouth had filled with blood from biting his tongue.

The result was him gurgling incoherently, before starting to choke. Naruto stepped closer, rambling about if he was okay, that her arms were in no condition to give the Heimlich.

She used her mangled hand to pat his back, whilst still standing directly in front of him.

Neji then accidentally coughed blood onto the blonde right in front of him.

"DUDE!" She exclaimed, looking disgustedly at the blood he'd spat onto her. There were speckles on her face, chin, neck, and a large blob on her shirt. Tenten wouldn't be happy to help get that stain out, that was certain.

"Not cool." She added, her arms once again limp at her side.

Neji grimaced, internally noting that he'd at least not spat it directly in her face. She was short, so if he hadn't angled his head just before that pat her entire face would be covered in a mix of his spit and blood.

It was most definitely cordial of him to have not spat that directly in her face.

"Okay, I'm gonna go sit my ass down, Blood-boy. Feel free to join me." She said, damn-near limping away.

Sighing, he followed behind her, the two of them sitting behind a large rock which provided them with shade.

The sun was just beginning to set, painting the edges of the sky in soft yellow and gold hues.

"So uh, are we bro's now?" She asked weakly, her voice hoarse.

He looked at her strangely. The entire fight he'd been insulting her, and after damn near killing her, she wanted to be friends?

He almost laughed at the surrealist nature of it all.

Minutes ago they were fighting. Now they were watching the sunset.

"I suppose it would not be bad to have a friend who.. Is such a worthy adversary." He said, straightening his posture haughtily.

The word friend wasn't something he'd been too familiar with. Surely Lee and Tenten were his friends, despite how difficult he'd been. But...

After today, he'd be sure to make that easier on them.

The blonde smiled at him knowingly.

"I can sense Gai and the others coming." She said quickly, before turning her head to him.

"Wait, just 'not bad?' You wound my poor heart, 'ttebane!" She said, in an over-exaggerated voice of sorrow. He blinked. Was that a play on words, since he'd genuinely aimed to wound her heart? He really wasn't sure.

She was trying to take off the trench-coat that covered her shoulders, and Neji begrudgingly helped tug it off. After all, his arms were far more functional than hers. His face and ribs might be screwed, though.

She smiled at him, as he replied to her jest.

"I wasn't aware that you had a heart." He mumbled, his lips quirking upwards in a wry smirk as he placed the jacket next to her.

She noticed that he'd messily folded it for her, but chose not to comment on that.

"Ha! A black one, maybe!" She said deviously, looking out at the sunset.

Once again, her head turned towards him quickly.

"Wait, did you just make a joke?!" She asked incredulously, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Don't be preposterous." He said wryly, tilting his nose upwards.

She puffed her cheek, jutting out her bottom lip to pout.

"C'mon, don't be like that! Tell another! Please!" She pleaded, her pout breaking when she smiled.

He ignored her, instead closing his eyes to rest them.

She huffed, closing her own eyes.

"They're almost here. I think we're gonna be in ~trouble.~" For some reason, she trouble in the most childish sing-song voice Neji could've imagined.

"Oh, joyous day." He said, both of them reopening their eyes.

Naruto wasn't completely sure, but she thought that he might've rolled his eyes.

Suddenly, her sensory ability picked up something else.

She'd felt a series of emotions from him throughout the fight, most of them befitting the whole, 'getting beat into the ground and having my ideology destroyed.'

He'd been angry, sad, confused, and nearly everything negative at one point or another during their fight.

But now, Neji was calm. She could feel no hatred for her in him anymore.

Instead she felt..

Amusement, fondness, regret, among the plethora of other feelings coming from him.

She empathized with that, knowing full well it was a curse to be overrun by conflicting feelings.

"MY PRECIOUS STUDENTS, I HAVE RETURNED!" Gai greeted exuberantly, Tenten and Lee stepping into the field beside him.

They had left Neji and Naruto alone together, and from the looks of them, it had ended badly.

Gai's jaw dropped to the floor, Tenten and Lee gaped similarly.

The training feel was a- a wreck!

A large branch the size of a Gai himself was broken from a tree, footprints burned into it and the surrounding grass.

Matter of fact, the entire field was littered with chakra-burnt footprints. Naruto's weapon was nearby, nailed to a tree by a sole kunai.

There were orange senbon everywhere, there were even senbon forming a perfect circle. Kunai and shuriken were similarly strewn about, all over the field.

Outstepping from behind the large boulder that Lee often used for training, Neji and Naruto each had an arm around the others shoulder for support.

Neji had a swollen cheek, bruised an ugly shade of purple and blue.

His nose had smeared blood beneath it, while his mouth had its own smears. Even his lower lip was busted, near his bruised left cheek.

His perfect face looked quite raggedy, far more than any of them had seen him. Even his beige coat had large splotches of blood on it. His breath was uneven, hitching if he dared to inhale too much.

And Naruto didn't look much better. Both of her fists had crusted blood, though it was unclear who it belonged to. One of her arms was limply hanging at her side, while the one with the horrifically misshapen fingers was draped over Neji's shoulder.

Her other leg was clearly in pain or numb, as the girl wasn't putting any weight on it.

Neji seemed to be a bit dizzy, as he swayed slightly. So while Naruto was shifting some of her weight into him, it appeared Neji was using her to keep the world from spinning around him.

Both of them were covered in sweat, dirt, and blood, and they both somehow looked rather content.

Both of them also looked in need of medical attention.

"HOW UNYOUTHFUL!" Gai cried out, getting a toothy smile from Naruto and a pained smirk from Neji.

"CAN YOU JUST NOT BE LEFT UNSUPERVISED!? WE LEAVE FOR THIRTY MINUTES TO GET LUNCH FOR ALL OF US AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO!?" Tenten shouted, a large tick mark forming on her head.

It was so extraordinary to see Tenten mad about anything, that the injured pair blanched significantly.

* * *

 ** _Konoha General Hospital_**

* * *

The next morning, Naruto and Neji had awoken in a shared hospital room, a curtain separating them. Neji was the first one up, as a fellow branch member had come to deliver him clean clothes. And of course, admonish him for getting beat up by a genin. He'd hardly even listened, unable to make himself care.

Had it been just a day ago, he'd probably be throwing the world's largest pity party, for the loss of his dignity.

Thankfully, that wasn't something on his mind anymore.

Glancing over at the shared nightstand between his bed and Naruto's, there were large bouquets jammed into the ceramic vase.

The larger one had surely been intended for both of them, as there was a card attached saying so, signed by Tenten. The other wasn't even a bouquet, just two lone sunflowers bound together purple ribbon.

They were faced towards the blonde, clearly there for her, but completely lacking any card or note saying who they were from.

She'd been out for two days, sleeping like a rock. She snored quite softly, not nearly as brutish as he'd expected.

The blonde seemed very much like the brutish type. The bandages over his nose, shoulder, and abdomen were proof enough of that...

Naruto pulled the curtain away, nearly starting him. Nearly. She had to have just woken up, but she remained as bright-eyed as always.

"Mornin, blood-boy!" She said.

Judging by the bandages all over her, he must be quite brutish in his own right. Frankly, he was surprised she was even bandaged.

He'd noticed quickly that the nurses did not care much for the girl, once he'd woken up, a day before the blonde.

They'd both been induced into comas to speed up their internal healing processes. (for their shattered bones.)

However, they hadn't bothered even giving the girl an IV or cleaning her scrapes and small wounds, just wrapping her up like a mummy and leaving her to rest. It appalled him even further that no had even sent a Hyuuga nurse to re-enable her tenketsu. Without a Hyuuga reactivating them, one's tenketsu could stay disabled and painful for up to two weeks.

Sighing, he sat up. If he wanted something done right, he knew he'd have to do it himself. An unfortunate reality, he mused.

"Hey, you're injured too, what're you doin' gettin' up?" Her light voice was nearly accusatory, with one brow raised.

He gave her a level, deadpan, stare. Which just led to an awkward minute of complete silence. Neji could only sigh, thinking of the only witty comment he could muster.

Taking her fully-bandaged arm, (Who's bright idea was that? Bandages wouldn't fix tenketsu!) he rushed chakra to his fingers, whilst simultaneously activating his byakugan without uttering a word.

A feat that not many Hyuuga could muster, he thought smugly to himself.

To his surprise, the blonde didn't flinch or pull away, merely watching with curious blue eyes.

He pushed chakra into the tenketsu, and instead of aiming to crush it shut, he used his refined control to reopen it. The blonde exhaled in relief almost instantaneously.

"Your leg." He said plainly, releasing her arm. She stared at him, "Oh, right!" The blue-eyed girl exclaimed.  
She pulled aside the blanket covering her also completely bandaged leg. (Neji had to fight the urge to groan, who was running this damned hospital? A mindless buffoon?)

Instantly, he once again poked her tenketsu with his two fingers, though this time on her thigh. Looking at the chakra pathway with his byakugan, he was impressed by how well regenerated it was. It only took a slight push to fully reopen it.

The girl smiled, about to thank him. That was when he used the one-liner he'd thought up moments ago, anticipating using her own words.

"No hard feelings, correct?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest.

She opened her mouth to speak, but then promptly shut it.

Could he count that as a victory? Rendering her speechless, with her own words?

With a mischievous glint in her eyes, the blonde raised two fingers. The standard, universal symbol of "just-wait."

Deactivating his byakugan, Neji narrowed his eyes as the girl's jaw clenched, and she gave the slightest wince.

Her expression was pinched for a moment, before having a look of uncomfortable victory. He really didn't like wherever the hell this was going.

Moments later, his intuition was proved impeccable by the blonde.

She turned towards him, lowering her hand.

Then she coughed.

And blood spewed from her mouth, and all over his fresh outfit, covering his chest, speckling his neck and chin, and he hadn't even had time to react.

He didn't even know how to react.

Vengeance was fair, he supposed, considering that she was still wearing the kimono top he'd spat blood on. Part of him knew he should be extremely insulted, as she'd literally spat on him after he'd been so cordial.

But he really just couldn't care. He had more important things to worry about than the blonde, who was an unpredictable variable at the best of times.

He turned away without a word, climbing back into his own bed, and wiping his face with a tissue. He then simply rolled over, and prepared to take a nap.

"Y..You're not even gonna say anything? No, 'ew filthy Uzumaki blood!' or even 'idiot?'" She asked curiously, a wry undertone to her question.

"We are... Friends now. There is no need for mindless insults." He said, scrunching his face at the word. It was like biting a lemon, that word.

Naruto grinned, her teeth tainted with blood.

"Awesome, so you really meant it! Cool, so can I give you a nickname, I mean other than Blood-boy-"

"No." He said simply.

"C'mon, don't be a stickler! You can call me Naru, and I'll call you-"

"No. As your superior in rank, I forbid it."

She scoffed, "Fine, whatever you say O-Neji-senpai."

His eyebrow twitched involuntarily. Of course she'd find some loophole, not only to nickname him but to use his words against him. And it wasn't even wrong given their rank difference. But it was relatively uncommon for a genin to call a chuunin senpai, and nearly unheard of when they were the same age. And especially, absolutely unheard of to use the prefix O-, meaning honorable, before that.

He could only roll his eyes.

Just leave it to Naruto Uzumaki, to be disrespectful and respectful at the same time. Correct, and also incorrect.

He had gotten no victory that day.

* * *

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE, PLEASE READ!:**_

* * *

HEEEYYYY THERE READERS! It's been a hot minute, hasn't it? Well, I'd like to say that, writing this chapter sucked. I hate it, it's repetitive, and I'd gladly set it aflame. THIS IS THE LAST, LAST! CHAPTER OF PURE TRAINING! CAN I GET A VICTORY SCREECH, PUHH LEAASSEEE?

This was essentially the line for Naruto. It shows every aspect of her training, talks about it several times, etc! Her fuinjutsu was discussed, not shown, because she doesn't really know it. Fuinjutsu will not be one of her talents until AFTER the chuunin exams, same with poisons. Next then! The doc for this story is so big, I could no longer work on it from my phone, because it was lagging soooo badly. Part of the reason this took so long. The other reason was that I was revamping this story, to fix old errors and change Naruto's age, along with fixing some ATROCIOUS formatting. Song lyrics are now present at the start of every chapter. If you hate it, lmk! Song suggestions, lmk!

As seen in this chapter, Naruto has got herself two new friends! By the way, I hope none of you are mad at how she tied (?) with Neji. Because uh.. It literally took everything in her just not to get murdered. As for Ino, she's going to be depicted differently than in canon. In canon, we know Ino hates bullies, but she treated Naruto pretty badly. This also applies to this Ino, but she's already gotten her shiz together, hence her new friendship with Naru. But also, I've always saw Ino as one of those popular girls who are actually cool. She's going to be the fashionista of the Ino-Naru-Ten trio, but she's also gonna be just as mischievous as them. If you're upset that Sakura isn't Naruto's friend instead.. Well, whoops. You'll get to see that in this story's sequel.

Oh, I never mentioned the sequel? Well, happy to inform! Just like in canon, I'm going to make a shippuden for this story. It's a long ways away, but I've already started planning for it! I've actually even started planning the end of this story, heh-heh. That's ages, upon ages away, though. This story is incredibly slow-paced. Almost excruciatingly so, for me.

Were you wondering why the hell the project Inoichi assigned Naruto didn't get shown? Well, my precious reader, do not fear! This is going to be published sometime this week, or maybe next if I get lazy.

Chapter 8 is the wave mission, be ready! I know a lot of readers think this arc is overdone. I totally agree, but I love Zabuza and Haku. It'll be a lot different, I swear.

So, my beloveds, what did you think of this chapter? Hate it as much as I did? How do you feel about her spar with Tenten, and fight with Neji? Or that line from Kakashi, at the cemetery? Any and all thoughts/criticism is welcome.

This year, for the Holidays, I ask you lot for reviews.

As someone with mental illness, your reviews give me the serotonin to keep writing! I have yet to receive a single flame or roast for this story, so if you hate it, you can send one of those as well. Hatred will also fuel the fires of my youth.

Thank you for reading, hugs, kisses, and head-pats, for all of you. Just a lot of affection, really, you deserve it.

Song this chapter: Sophmore Slump or Comeback Year, by Fall out Boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE:
> 
> HEEEYYYY THERE READERS! It's been a hot minute, hasn't it? Well, I'd like to say that, writing this chapter sucked. I hate it, it's repetitive, and I'd gladly set it aflame. THIS IS THE LAST, LAST! CHAPTER OF PURE TRAINING! CAN I GET A VICTORY SCREECH, PLEAASSEEE?
> 
> This was essentially the line for Naruto, she's nearly peaked at this point. This chapter shows every aspect of her training, talks about it several times, etc! Her fuinjutsu was discussed, not shown, because she doesn't really know it. Fuinjutsu will not be one of her talents until AFTER the chuunin exams, same with poisons.
> 
> Next subject then! Why did this chapter take so long to publish? Well, one, because I am ~mentally ill~ and motivation to do thing is hard. I'm not saying that for sympathy, I just want you guys to know that if I don't upload in a while, it's NOT because this story is abandoned. I'm probably just busy or in a rut.  
> Two: The doc for this story is so big, I could no longer work on it from my phone, because it was lagging soooo badly. Part of the reason this took so long. The other reason was that I was revamping this story, to fix old errors and change Naruto's age, along with fixing some ATROCIOUS formatting. Song lyrics are now present at the start of every chapter. If you hate it, lemme know! Song suggestions, lemme know!
> 
> As seen in this chapter, Naruto has got herself two new friends! By the way, I hope none of you are mad at how she tied (?) with Neji. Because uh.. It literally took everything in her just not to get murdered.
> 
> As for Ino, she's going to be depicted differently than in canon. I've always saw Ino as one of those popular girls who are actually cool. She's going to be the fashionista of the Ino-Naru-Ten trio, but she's also gonna be just as mischievous as them. If you're upset that Sakura isn't Naruto's friend instead.. Well, whoops. You'll get to see that in this story's sequel.
> 
> Oh, I never mentioned the sequel? Well, happy to inform! Just like in canon, I'm going to make a Shippuden for this story. It's a long ways away, but I've already started planning for it! I've actually even started planning the end of this story. That's ages, upon ages away, though. This story is incredibly slow-paced. Almost excruciatingly so, for me.
> 
> Were you wondering why the hell the project Inoichi assigned Naruto didn't get shown? Well, my precious reader, do not fear! This is going to be published sometime this week, or maybe next if I get lazy.
> 
> Chapter 8 is the wave mission, be ready! I know a lot of readers think this arc is overdone. I totally agree, but I love Zabuza and Haku. It'll be a lot different, I swear.
> 
> So, my beloveds, what did you think of this chapter? Hate it as much as I did? How do you feel about her spar with Tenten, and fight with Neji? Or that line from Kakashi, at the cemetery? Any and all thoughts/criticism is welcome.
> 
> I love all of your comments so much! Don't tell the FFdotnet community, but I'm starting to like you guys a little more, even if I publish there first. No hard feelings, right? Most of this note is copied directly from there. Normally, I give much short notes on here. Do you hate these long ones? If so, I'll keep them short.
> 
> Song this chapter: Sophmore Slump or Comeback Year, by Fall out Boy.


	9. AMS: Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~FILLER OMAKES~  
> 1\. Naruto and Friends attempt to bake.. And everything goes to shit.  
> 2\. T&I has some weird ritual, and Naruto did NOT sign up for it!  
> 3\. Interrogating idiots is just not fun, at least for her.  
> 4.Three cowgirls commit vandalism, theft, and other crimes, and a random genin thinks she might be in love with a certain blonde.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, reader! So I hit a road-block with the omake I originally intended to post, which was going to be connected to that project from Inoichi. It was basically going to be a lot of humorous world-building, but oh well. Instead, you get these four! These are canon events in this story, but COMPLETELY unrelated to the storyline. Filler, basically. You can skip them, or read them, either way, enjoy! Read the A/N at the end for more of my rambling.

* * *

_**How Many Shinobi does it Take to Bake some Cookies?** _

* * *

No one really knew how the hell this had happened.

One minute, Naruto was training with Ino, and then she was training with Ino and Tenten, and somehow Neji and Lee had found them.

And somehow, once they'd finished that very odd training session, they'd ended up at Tenten's house.

Every. Single. One. Of them.

Her father and grandmother had taken a trip out of village a few days ago, to trade weapons and such.

Which, left a group of brats with no supervision.

So one might ask, what exactly can they even get up to? They're shinobi, and Neji is too much of a stickler to let them do anything legally reprehensible. And, Lee is too much of a goody-two shoes to do anything morally reprehensible, or just _unyouthful_.

So what could they even do?

Well, one would think their night would be calm, fun...

But they'd completely fucking wrong if they ever thought that, for even a moment.

"I'm boreeed." Ino whined, twirling a strand of blonde hair around her finger.

Neji clicked his tongue in annoyance, and she fought back the urge to snap at him. It would be unladylike, after all.

Naruto, on the other hand, had no such qualms.

"C'mon grumpy, wipe that look off your face. We can totally see it in your eyes. You're bored too." Naruto challenged, causing the flaxen-haired Yamanaka to brighten a bit.

Ino really wasn't used to people standing up for her, it was always the other way around. Another perk to befriending someone like Naruto, she supposed.

When Ino had first been introduced to Tenten, they'd hit it off immediately, and became quick friends. Even if it was a little awkward at first.

And then, well, she'd met Tenten's teammates...

She supposed they weren't too bad, though they were polar opposites of her team. Shikamaru and Choji were lazy bastards, Lee was a training-nut, and Neji was all haughty and socially-awkward.

At least Neji was pretty, she internally consoled herself.

"We should do a youthful group activity!" Lee proclaimed loudly, pumping his fist in the air.

"Like what?" Tenten asked, looking up from the book she'd been reading.

"I hope whatever your idea is, involves food." Naruto said, stretching out on Tenten's couch. Her legs were stretched across Tenten's lap, who was sitting between Naruto and Ino.

For some reason, Lee was on the birchwood floors instead of a tatami mat, or the loveseat. Neji had opted to take the recliner, and was actually slouched in it.

Seeing Neji without perfect posture and effortless grace was a bit of a surprise, but a welcome one.

"Great idea, Naru! We can bake cookies! Or maybe a cake!" Tenten suggested, and everyone seemed to perk up.

"Hell yeah!" Naruto cheered, rolling off of Tenten and right onto the floor. She hit the ground with a loud thud, but was completely unaffected.

Lee pulled her up, looking strangely excited about the idea of baking. "WE MUST MAKE BOTH!" Lee proclaimed, "Learning to bake is a wonderful team exercise, if Guy-sensei were here, he would approve!"

Neji sighed, seeming to accept that this was how he'd be spending his evening.

In minutes, everyone was crowded into Tenten's kitchen and searching for something to bake.

"Well, I don't have any cookie mix, but we can totally do it from scratch!" Tenten said optimistically, looking up at her cabinets.

"Do you any of you even know how to bake?" Neji questioned, sounding awfully exasperated.

The room went silent, the chirping of crickets outside could be heard loud and clear.  
Naruto cleared her throat, looking amongst their rag-tag group.

"Well, I can cook.." Said, Tenten. "Yeah, me too! It can't be all that different, right?" Ino smiled, but Neji didn't seem all that convinced.

"This is an opportunity to learn something new, do not look so downtrodden, Neji!" Lee patted Neji's back forcefully, and Neji looked even less convinced now.

"Okay, theennn! What the hell does it take to make some cookies anyway?" Naruto asked, leaning against the counter.

"Um, flour, baking soda... Eggs, vanilla.." Ino counted on her fingers, finishing with uncertainty.

"Chocolate chips, sugar, brown sugar too," Tenten tapped against her chin.

"and Butter, right?" Naruto finished, sitting on Tenten's countertop.

"Neji, you preheat the oven and get the cookie tray ready.. Ino, you get the stuff from the fridge, and since Naruto is sitting on my counter, she can get the stuff from the cabinet."

"Who died and made you team captain?" Naruto mumbled, before literally standing on the countertop and digging through cabinets.

"What about me?" Lee asked, a slight undertone of heartbreak in his voice.

"Er, you're on standby, Lee." Tenten said, scratching the back of her head.

Neji didn't seem all that happy with his role, he didn't really want any part of this foolishness. Knowing this group, someone would end up on fire and the cookies would probably taste worse than tree bark. He was about to offer to switch him roles, but then Naruto had to speak.

"Found the chocolate chips, catch, Lee!" Naruto threw the bag of chocolates behind her with unnecessary force, but Lee caught the bag in a flash.

"EXCELLENT THROW, NARUTO!" Lee cheered, and Naruto smiled. It wasn't her usual sweet, good-natured smile... No, this was a smile much more mischievous, more vulpine.

"Nice catch, but can you do it again?" Naruto asked, narrowing her blue eyes.

Simultaneously, the other three occupants of the room grimaced. This couldn't be good.

"Is that a challenge?" Lee questioned, fire igniting in his round eyes.

"I dunno, is it?!" Naruto swerved around, whipping a bottle from the cabinet and throwing it as hard as she could. Well, as hard as she could _safely_. They were indoors, after all.

Lee ran across the room to catch it, right before it would've went through the kitchen window.

Tenten was trying to diffuse the situation, "Now now, no need to wreck my kitchen-" She abruptly shut up when Lee spoke, losing any hope of making them stop.

"Is that all you have got?" Lee taunted. Tenten slumped in defeat. It was over, her kitchen would be ruined and all they would have to show for it would be some cookies.

"Box of cake mix, coming in hot!" Naruto tossed the box, Lee sliding across to grab it just before it hit the ground.

"So you have cake mix, but not cookie mix?" Neji asked incredulously.

"Mind your own business!" Tenten said, her face stuck in a sour pout.

Ino snorted, poking Naruto's leg.

"Hey, Naru,"

The other blonde was momentarily distracted, and Lee spotted a large bag of flour which Tenten pulled out minutes ago.

Tenten and Neji were talking to each other, and Naruto was distracted, it was the perfect opportunity.

"You should see if he can dodge these-" Naruto reached down to take something from Ino's hand, but it was too late for her. Ino saw just in time, able to throw herself away from the incoming weapon of mass destruction.

Lee had hefted the bag of flour up, and thrown it right at Naruto.

And of course...  
The bag burst.

The entire vicinity surrounding Naruto, was coated in a thick layer of white flour. Ino had avoided most of the blast, by throwing herself to the ground.

But no one had been entirely spared.

Neji, who had his back facing the two, had blocked Tenten from the blast. From head to toe, Neji's backside was coated in flour.  
Naruto, who was momentarily baffled, grinned something evil. Her eyes were narrowed, her nose wrinkled, and her jaw was clenched in fury.

"You've done it now, Lee!" She shouted, a vicious rage in her words.

In her hands, she had many pieces of silverware, handed to her by Ino right before the flour attack.  
"Get him, Naruto!" Ino screamed, pointing at him indignantly.

Neji was visibly seething, his left eye twitching wildly and his hands clenched impossibly tight.

Tenten broke into cartoonish tears, falling onto her knees.

"MY KITCHEN IS COVERED IN FLOUUUUR!" She sobbed.

As if she were deaf to Tenten's cries, Naruto began throwing silverware like darts, and Rock Lee was just barely capable of dodging. At some point, Neji had straightened himself up, and began calmly using the remains of the flour to start the cookie mix.  
He began mixing the ingredients, while Ino was trying to get all the flour off of her, and Tenten tried wiping it off the dark-oak cabinets.

All the while, butter knifes, chopsticks, forks, and spoons were zipping around the room wildly, all aimed at one boy in green. After a while of narrowly dodging silverware, Tenten gave up and started the cake, whilst Ino decided to help with the cookies.

"DIE ALREADY!" A hoarse voice, belonging to one Naruto Uzumaki bellowed out.

"I think three eggs will do." Ino said calmly, looking at the cookie dough she and Neji were working on. He nodded stiffly in response, agreeing. The consistency of the dough was perfect, after all.

Ino looked over her shoulder, "Hey!" she demanded, catching the attention of the room.  
For some reason, everyone froze, as if she were in charge. That brought joy to Ino's bossy side, for sure.

"Don't cry in the cake batter Tenten-chan, it'll get all salty." She said, giving the girl a kind pat on the back.

Tenten sniffled, nodding as the chaos resumed.

Neji was nearing his breaking point, he'd told himself he'd be a good person, he'd tolerate his simpleton friends, but this was getting to be too much.

Seriously, they were shinobi, not children! (Well, Ino was 13? But that wasn't his point.) How could five teens cause this much trouble?

Looking around Tenten's kitchen, he could only grimace as he angrily molded the cookie dough into shape.  
Half of the room was coated in flour, there were forks, chopsticks, knives... All sticking out of the floor, and walls. And a few drops of Lee's blood, on the floor.

"YOU WILL HAVE TO BE FASTER, NARUTO! LET THE FLAMES OF YOUR YOUTH EMPOWER YOU!" Lee shouted bombastically, ignoring the fork-shaped wounds on him.

"ILL SHOW YOU FASTER YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Naruto took her last handful of silverware, and in a stroke of genius, decided to go for a wide-area attack.

By throwing them as fast, as hard as she could, in every direction. Neji ducked below a fork, barely making it fly overhead. Unfortunately, it managed to nail his long, lustrous hair... Right to Tenten's cabinet.

His hair. Was nailed to the wood of her cabinet...

With a fork..

That was it. The last straw.  
The room was once again silent, and had they been in a desert, a tumbleweed would've rolled by. Alas, they were in a kitchen, so no such thing happened.  
With a wildly twitching hand, Neji reached up, and grasped the fork.

Pulling it out slowly, he turned his eyes to Naruto, and then to Lee.  
Naruto was sweating bullets, with her hands raised defensively. Lee was hiding behind Naruto.

He wasn't sure when the hell Naruto had got down from the counter, or when Lee had decided to use her as a shield, but it didn't matter. Neji sucked in a long, deep breath from his nose.

He closed his eyes, and tried to swallow the rage inside him.

Tolerance... It was something he needed to work in even further, because all he could think about right now was throwing both of them out the nearest window. Which, coincidentally, wasn't that far away...  
Instead, Neji took another deep breath, and slowly began walking towards them. Like a stalking jaguar, he made his way right up to the tiny blonde responsible.

"Hey O-Neji-sama, I really didn't mean to do that, but Lee is such a pesky little bastard an' he kept fuckin' dodging! So I had to aim far and wide, 'ttebayo... You understand, right? I'd never try to hurt you, you're one of my best buds, for rea-"

"Silence." He said, those fearsome white eyes glued to her.

She squeaked, nodding enthusiastically.

"You and Lee are going to sit in the corner, like the children you are. I will not hear any ifs, buts, or anything of the sort-"

"Wha-"

"No. Corner. Now."

She swallowed thickly, before bowing her head. She needed to pick and choose her battles, and Neji didn't look like he felt very merciful. She really didn't want all her tenketsu disabled.

"Right away, O-Neji-sama!" She said, saluting him and zipping away, to sit in the nearest corner.

That left Lee, shaking in his metaphorical boots.

"Corner." Neji repeated, releasing KI the likes of which would impress Ibiki Morino.

Following Naruto's lead, he gave a quick salute, and joined the blonde.

Both of them had an aura of doom looming overhead, like an oppressive cloud. They hugged their knees to their chests in silence, accepting the punishment.  
"And when we are finished baking, you two will be cleaning this mess." Neji said, turning on his heel to resume backing.

Things were peaceful after that... Just kidding, of course they weren't. There were about ten minutes of peace, before hell resumed.  
The first tray of cookies had finally finished, and Ino was happily going to take them out.  
The problem was.. Ino wasn't the smartest girl.

She bent over the oven, taking out the cookie pan with ease. Then, like a genius, she slid in the empty cake pan.

She began filling it with batter, whilst in the oven..

And then, a large drop of batter fell...

And a fire broke out.

"FIRE!" Ino screamed, but she was too slow. Those ridiculous purple arm warmers of hers were too close to the flames, and promptly lit up.

Various screams broke out, and Neji immediately ran to put out the fire in the oven.

Naruto jumped up, and Tenten ran towards her, while Lee tried beating the fire out with a towel.

"IM ON FIREEEE!" Ino screamed, which only seemed to anger the Almighty Fire Gods, because the towel Lee was trying to put her out with, promptly ignited.

"OH SWEET MOTHER OF FUCK, YOU'RE MAKING IT WORSE!" Naruto howled, just as Lee dropped the towel. Both he and Tenten began stomping out the flames, and Naruto got a brilliant idea.

Right down the hall was Tenten's bathroom.

Pumping chakra to her biceps, Naruto heaved Ino into the air.

Literally, she lifted the girl overhead, and ran off.

"NARUUUTOOOO PUT ME DOWN! IM STILL BURNING YOU IDIOT!" She screamed belligerently, and Naruto obliged, dropping the other blonde in the bathtub.

The arm warmers must've been flame-resistant, because they hadn't burned up yet. Ino was lucky in that regard.

Without a word, Naruto turned on the shower-head, and began spraying Ino with it.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" Ino shouted, shaking like a leaf under the ice-cold water.

Naruto froze...  
"Did you just say... Motherfucker?" The pigtail-wearing girl questioned.

Ino stared at her blankly, completely exhausted, and completely full of adrenaline simultaneously.

"So?" She questioned, a deadpan expression falling onto the soaked girl's face.

"Isn't that like, unladylike?"

Ino blinked, before scowling.

"Whatever!"

"I'm totally rubbing off on you! Man, that's great, you're gonna have a potty-mouth in no time!" Naruto said, giggling maniacally.

"THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE CONCERNED WITH?! I COULD'VE DIED!" Ino yelled, waving her arms frantically.

Naruto blinked. "But you didn't, did ya? You don't even got any burns." She said, shrugging.

"THAT WAS TRAUMATIC! LOOK AT ARM-WARMERS, THEY MIGHT AS WELL BE CHARCOAL!" Naruto rolled her eyes, turning off the shower.

"Ten-chan, we're home early!" An older, female voice called.

Ino froze, Naruto froze, exchanging terrified glances.

"Her grandma.." Naruto rasped.

"Her dad.." Ino added, looking fearful.

Simultaneously, the girls spoke.

"Aw, Shiiii-"

* * *

**_~next omake~_ **

**_T &I Movie Night_ **

* * *

When Naruto was promoted to an official member of the Torture and Interrogation unit, she hadn't expected this.

She'd expected to be respected, to do high rank interrogations and torture sessions, to handle the most important fiends a newbie could.. She expected more camaraderie from her fellow T&I nin, less babying, that sorta thing...

What she hadn't expected...

Was a secret, T&I ritual that only the bonafide, real-deal shinobi could engage in.

Only the true interrogators, the sadists, the torturing extraordinaires could be a part of...

_T &I Movie Night._

The worst part wasn't that all these experienced shinobi were huddled up in the conference room... Now turned into some kind of living room, huddled next to one another before the projection screen like a bunch of kids in a movie theater...

It wasn't that they were arguing over the best kinds of popcorn when she'd arrived, be it Kettle or Extra Buttery... Nor was it that everyone except her was wearing some goth version of pajamas, with animal slippers and fuzzy blankets..

It was the argument over which romantic comedy would be the best for a rainy night...

She looked around the room, seeing several familiar faces.

There was Anko, in a tank-top and purple plaid pants, with a charcoal face mask on. Then there was Yugao, who wasn't even an official member of T&I, she was _ANBU-  
_ Did that mean that past members were included in this bizarre ritual, or that they invited people who hung around often?  
Yugao was huddled next to Hayate, who was smoking a cigarette as if his lungs weren't in total disrepair, wearing a red flannel set of pajamas.

Mozuku, an insignificant member as far as Naruto was concerned, was wearing sheep-patterned black pajamas, and he was arguing with a beautiful Yamanaka woman about popcorn. How did she manage to look so perfect with a messy bun and pajamas?! Witchcraft, probably..

And then of course, there was Ibiki. Who was somehow managing to make fuzzy skull-print pajama pants look dignified.

When they'd sent a missive for her, at literally three a.m Naruto had leapt out of bed and threw on the nearest clothes.. Hence her orange leggings and baggy black sweater. At least she didn't stand out too badly.

Though, she was wearing sandals, whilst others were wearing socks or animal slippers.

Seeing Anko with fuzzy monster slippers, was an odd sight.. At least she knew Anko's favorite color was definitely purple, now.

Ibiki grunted, waving her over. She snapped out of her stupor, choosing to reluctantly accept _this_ as her life. Very, very reluctantly, of course.

"NEWBIE GETS TO PICK THE MOVIE!" He shouted over the commotion.

Whispers went about, and as Naruto stepped closer, some of them were right in her ear. She didn't pay any heed to them, not sparing the gossipers a glance. Even so, she couldn't ignore their hushed voices entirely.

" _You should pick Icha Icha: Makeout Tactics!"_

" _No, she should pick Sleepless in Kumo!_ " A hushed voice disagreed.

" _Yeah right, everyone knows Pretty Kunoichi is better for nights like this!_ " A third voice whispered.

" _I wish we could watch Mean Kunoichi's._." A male voice said.

" _Shut up, you always say that! It's not even a rom-com!"_ the first whisperer snapped.

" _You don't even work here!_ " The male voice countered, causing them all to go quiet.

Naruto sat with her back to her coworkers, (?) instead looking over the DVD selection in front of her.

"How about… Icha Icha Paradise?" Naruto said, tapping the movie case. Ibiki stared at her in silence, before passing the CD case to Anko.

"I knew you had good taste, kid." Ibiki said, patting her shoulders.

She took that as a compliment, despite having picked the movie randomly. The girl on the CD cover was pretty, that was all.

" _Ah geez, did anyone bring tissues?_ "

" _Leave it to Ibiki to think an emotional movie like this is good._ "

" _The sex scenes make all the angst better, though_."

Naruto sweatdropped, paling slightly.

This certainly wasn't what she signed up for…

Maybe she should've aimed for ANBU instead, they certainly didn't do things like this..

* * *

_**~Next Omake~**   
_

_**Interrogating Kinda Sucks, yo.** _

* * *

Naruto sighed. Kids like this were her least favorite to interrogate. This boy had to be about her age, maybe give or take a year or so.

And still.. They couldn't be more different, yet maybe a little similar at the same time? She wasn't certain. She was certain, that this had went on for nearly two hours, and that this kid was fucking annoying, and that she wanted to go home.

"You're really not in trouble, I just need kno-"

"I'M NOT TALKIN! LOOK ME IN MY EYES, DO I LOOK LIKE A SNITCH TO YOU?"

Naruto looked him in his eyes.

Yes, yes he did. He looked exactly like a snitch.

Not that she'd say that though.

This kid was only here for alleged underage drinking and vandalism, something she could see herself doing, if she was honest.  
That wasn't something she was particularly concerned with, but he'd been handed to T&I because he'd decided to draw on the walls of the Hyuuga compound.

Seriously, the fucking Hyuuga, of all people. Idiot.

Of course they'd notice, and of course they'd hand him in! Seriously, when she did stuff like that, at least she was aware of the consequences.

"Look, kid, all you gotta do is tell me-"

"I SAID LOOK ME IN MY EYES! I BEEN TO JAIL, I'M NOT AFRAID TO GO BACK! I'LL NEVER TELL, YA HEAR ME, BIMBO?"

Well, the first part was certainly false, because his record labeled him as a first-time offender.. But she was more concerned with what he'd just called her.

"Excuse me, bitch?" She questioned, moving in closer.

This boy was nothing if not audacious. He spit blood at her, which she literally just rotated her head to miss.

"I'LL NEVER TALK!" He said indignantly.

"I HAVEN'T EVEN HIT YOU YET! WHAT WAS THE POINT IN THAT? WHERE DID THAT BLOOD COME FROM?" She raised her voice, glaring daggers at him, then at the spot of blood on the floor.

"I SAW IT IN A MOVIE!"

"AND THE _BLOOD?!"_

"I BIT MY TONGUE?!" The girl slammed her palm to her face in response, and the boy looked down at the ropes tying him up with a bit of shame.

She walked away, well more like stomped, rather suddenly.

"OH SOMEONE GET THIS FUCKING MEATHEAD OUTTA HERE, I CAN'T DO THIS DUMB SHIT ANY LONGER!" Naruto said, dramatically kicking the door open as she made her exit.

Outside the room, another member of T&I was holding her stomach and howling with mirth.

Down the hall, the convict she'd left behind heard her scream once more,"I'M CLOCKING THE FUCK OUT. I'VE HAD ENOUGH. ENOUGH I TELL YOU!"

"Man, being interrogated kinda sucks, yo." The boy with the bloody mouth remarked to himself, making the laughing woman howl even louder.

* * *

_**~Next Omake~** _

_**Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.** _

* * *

"Is this legal?" Tenten asked.

"Literally everything about this is illegal. I should know." Ino said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Wow, Ino Yamanaka, queen of legalese." Naruto commented dryly.

Said queen stuck her nose up, folding her arms. "You suck." The Yamanaka heiress muttered.

"C'mon guys… It's one horse, and we're just borrowing it…" Naruto tried to reason. She'd managed to convince both girls to follow her out here, in the dead of night, and she wasn't about to let it be for nothing.  
Yes, Naruto had lured her two friends to a farm at three a.m, yes they were trespassing, and no, she didn't care.

"What the hell are we gonna do with it?" Tenten asked, clearly exasperated. "We're gonna ride it!" Naruto said cheerfully, patting the large mare.

"And… What're the buckets of paint for?" Ino asked, pointing to a storage scroll Naruto had unsealed.

"Oh, right. We're gonna paint the Hokage Monument pink." Naruto said nonchalantly, re-sealing the four cans of pink paint.

Tenten gasped, and Ino seemed slightly intrigued.

"... _why?"_ Both Ino and Tenten asked.

"Oh you know, girl power, feminity, and all that. It'll piss off the village fossils to see their Hokages coated in different shades of pink." Naruto explained with a shrug, waving her hand dismissively. She even rolled her eyes, as if it was nothing. "You know what? I'm in." Ino said, nearly instantaneous.

"Ino!" Tenten reprimanded, looking over at her, then back at Naruto. Naruto, in all her Shinobi-turned-Cowgirl glory, had already mounted the horse.

"What? It'll be funny. Besides, as long as they don't catch us, we're fine!" Ino said, starting to grin.

Tenten knew for a fact that was true, considering what she and Naruto had done to the Jounin Committee building all those months ago.  
And Naruto knew, even if they were caught, they wouldn't be punished severely. She had experience in getting caught vandalizing the Hokage Monument, after all.

"You know… When you told me the theme for our sleepover was Cowgirl Chic, I should've known." Tenten said with visible exasperation.

The Yamanaka tipped her neon pink cowboy-hat, and the rhinestones she'd glued on genuinely sparkled, making an audible, ' _ping!'_ noise.  
Ino was by far the winner in the style department, mostly because she had made her hat herself. And because her outfit was so… Extreme.

The hat had an attached tiara, rhinestones, and fluffy pink feathers around the edges. The girl even had pink leather pants, matching pink leather tassel jacket, and hot pink boots.

Ino's color was usually purple, but apparently she'd switched it up for this particular occasion.

Tenten was much more casual with her outfit, wearing a red bandana around her neck, and a typical brown cowboy costume with two thick belts overlapping one another. She'd left her hair down, which cascaded down just past her shoulder-blades.

Naruto had also gone all out in her outfit, with a black leather jacket covered in tassels and poorly glued-on spikes, and of course a fake mustache too.

As for the rest of her outfit, she adorned knee-high boots with makeshift spurs, (they were just glued on shuriken…) leather chaps, with a pair of black leggings, to match her orange bandanna. Tenten almost wondered if Naruto had confused the outfits of a pirate and a Cowboy, because she had a plastic cutlass strapped to her leg, and a singular black eyepatch on.

Narhto also had an enormous cowboy hat, which was neon-orange, with three ridiculous tassels dangling from a fake flower that had been sloppily glued to it. Oh, and there was also a fake tropical bird on it, which Tenten had no damn idea how she'd managed to find…

Seriously, what store sold such realistic fake parakeets?

"Hop on girls!" She said, patting the horse.

Ino gave an appraising glance to the horse, before shrugging. Tenten followed after, though much more reluctantly.

Given that none of the girls were particularly large, and the horse was enormous, they all managed to fit.

"TO THE HOKAGE'S MONUMENT!" Naruto commanded, pointing onward.

The horse didn't move.

"Hey, are you deaf, horsey? I said To The Hokage's Monument."

Ino facepalmed, "Naruto, the horse can't understand you!"

Tenten snorted, and Naruto scowled.

"Well how do I make her go, then?!" The orange-clad cowgirl questioned, looking back at the girls behind her. Tenten wasn't certain, but she thought maybe that fake-bird was glaring at her...

"You take the reins, and you slap it's butt real hard!" Ino said, as if it were obvious.

"Why would I slap a horse's ass?" Naruto questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

"I don't know, it's what they do in movies!" Ino explained, shrugging.

Naruto was about to make her retort, but Tenten interrupted, dragging her attention away from the fake-bird... "That's not how you do it, that's like, animal cruelty. You're supposed to squeeze them with your legs."

"Oh, okay. Thanks Bunny!" Naruto said, giving the girls a thumbs up.

And wait a second, did that fake bird just blink? No, certainly imagined it… It was fake, after all. Ha, Tenten really should've got more sleep last night..

Ino tightened her arms around Naruto, whilst Tenten did the same to her.

Squeezing her legs, the horse took off on command.

Naruto gripped the reins tightly as the horse sped off, running towards the exit of the farm as Naruto guided it.

"Hey, I'm pretty good at this!" Naruto shouted, her raspy voice full of excitement.

"We're totally gonna end up in jail tonight!" Ino said, with a ridiculous sense of joy.

Naruto chuckled, "I think Ino is in her rebellion phase!" She commented lightheartedly, glancing back at Tenten.

Both Tenten and Ino laughed, worries forgotten as Naruto guided their horse to the short gate.

"C'mon horsey, jump for it!" Naruto cheered, and the horse obliged.

The trio of troublemaking kunoichi held onto each other tight, as the horse ran towards the gate.

Leaping into the air, the girls laughed and whooped as they soared for only a moment.

"This is so badass!" Tenten shouted, "Hell yeah it is! Aren't you glad we peer pressured you into it?" Naruto asked.

Ino's ponytail whipped in the wind, and she looked back to see Tenten grinning wildly, which was answer enough for her.

"I'll never admit to enjoying your schemes, Naru-chan, but wow!" Tenten shouted, as the horse ran through back-streets on the way to town.

It'd taken them an hour to walk there, but this horse was cutting travel time ridiculously short. Tenten almost felt sad about it, that the moment couldn't last longer. Naruto and Ino would've agreed.  
It was around four A.M by now, and still dark as all hell.

"I can see the monument, Ino, take the reins!"

"HUH?!" The flaxen-blonde questioned, but it was too late, the other blonde had tossed the reins overhead, and all that Ino could do was go with the flow.

It was something the Yamanaka heiress was learning quickly from her fellow blonde. Ino found out she liked that kind of spontaneity. She liked not always being in control, just letting things go with the flow.

Not that she'd _ever_ admit that.

Naruto closed her eyes, scanning the area for shinobi. Thankfully, the only nearby ninja were inside buildings, or far away. The coast was clear.

"Great job, Ino-chan, you can pass them back now!" Naruto said, but Ino grinned.

"No way, this is fun!" The rebellious Yamanaka cheered.

Naruto laughed, and the brunette in the back did too.

"In that case, giddy up, horsey!" Tenten patted the horse's behind lightly.

The horse went faster, causing the night air to bite at their skin even more. The air was cold in their lungs, their hair whipped behind them. The moonlight was the only thing illuminating the girls as they rode up to the peak of the Hokage Monument.

Ino pulled the reins back, and the horse took that as a signal to stop.

Carefully, she lifted the reins back over Naruto's head, not minding Tenten leaping off behind her. The brunette tended to the horse, cooing at it once both blondes had stepped off to begin their prank.

"Man, if my dad finds out, he'll kill you, then kill me with your dead body." Ino said, still grinning nonetheless.

She liked to show her dad just how capable she was, not some precious flower in need of protection. Naruto didn't know how accurate her earlier statement about Ino's rebellion was.

"You're damn right he will, which is why we won't let him find out! If he does, we might not be allowed to hang out anymore." Naruto said, actually feeling a tinge of regret now. Losing Ino wasn't worth a silly prank, not at all. Was Inoichi the type to ban Ino from bad influences? She wasn't sure, but it would be understandable if so. Ino was a clan heir, and she was well... She was just a coworker of his, a nobody in comparison.

She'd change that one day, of course, but her point remained.

"As if! Even if he said we couldn't, I'd just sneak out. That'd show him who's boss." Ino said, ending with a mischievous snicker. Naruto relaxed a bit, if Ino wasn't too concerned, she shouldn't be either.  
It wasn't all that hard to imagine Ino bossing around her father, and that said something. Tenten didn't look all too surprised either, as if Ino's bossiness was more than expected.

Tenten looked at her friends, then at the monument they were going to deface.

She swallowed thickly, forcing down any second-guesses she might have.

' _You only live once.'_ She repeated to herself. It'd be totally weak to back out now, no way she would.

If there was one thing Tenten truly hated, it was weak-natured types.

She supposed that's what attracted her to friends like Naruto and Ino, they were loud and proud. Tenten considered herself too passive for her own liking, they were as brave as she aspired to be.

Was vandalism an act of bravery, or stupidity? Probably both, she concluded.

"Okay, guys, grab a bucket! We're gonna just dump 'em down! I call dibs on pink-ifying the fourth!" Naruto said, picking up two cans of 50 gallon paint as if it were light as feathers.

Tenten whistled appreciatively, seeing Naruto lift those with one arm was certainly proof of Anko's great training. She looked over to Ino, to see the girl lifting one can of paint with both arms.

She shrugged internally, they'd make a training-nut out of her eventually.

The brunette's eyes wandered back to Naruto, who looked a little too gleeful about defacing the monument of her own father.

Tenten snorted, shaking her head before picking up a paint can in each arm.

"Tobirama Senju, feel my wrath!" Ino shouted, dumping her paint down the stone-head.

"Take this, Namikaze scum!" Naruto said between boisterous laughs, dumping magenta paint.

That left two Hokages for her to choose between, and Tenten opted for the third.

Because fuck that guy, for lying to Naruto. Her revenge.

She respected the man, of course, but he'd lied to her best friend about her _parentage._ Dick move.

"EAT THIS WITH THAT DIRTY LYING MOUTH OF YOURS, SARUTOBI!" She said, shaking the paint down onto the head.

She wasn't done, though. While her friends laughed at her proclamation, Tenten used chakra to stick to his head.

There was pink, dripping paint on the monument's hair and forehead, but she walked down to his face. Using her hands, Tenten painted bright pink lipstick onto the monument.

Naruto smiled, "Bunny, you're a genius!"

Following Tenten's example, Naruto used her hands to paint eyeliner, lipstick, and blush onto the fourth.

"Ugh, I need to train more! I can't even chakra-walk!" Ino whined, and Tenten and Naruto gave her a pitying glance.

Tenten swore she saw a lightbulb go off in Naruto's head at that moment.

"We've got one kage left, we'll make it a cooperative work of art!"

Ino and Tenten exchanged glances, as the pigtailed cowgirl jumped up from the face of the fourth hokage.

"Ino, get on my back!" Naruto said, pointing at her back with her thumb. She had an enormous grin on her face, despite the deadpan expression plastered across Ino and Tenten's faces.

"Shinobi.. Using piggyback to desecrate their Kage's monuments.. What is wrong with us?" Tenten asked herself, forcing down a grin.

"C'mon Ino, we don't have all damn night!" Naruto said, looking almost smug.

"Fine, fine! Just, don't drop me!" Ino said, and Naruto swept her up in an instant.

Ino's legs were around Naruto's waist, clinging impossibly tight.

"Calm down, Ino-chan! Do you _see_ these biceps, no way could I drop you!" Naruto flexed her arm, and okay…

She _did_ see those biceps. They were mighty impressive, actually.

Ino herself was afraid of getting muscles, but they suited Naruto's figure perfectly. It actually made Ino consider working out. Maybe not her arms, but her legs..? Imagine the kick power, and she'd look damn good!

Ino was internally applauding her genius, she was so smart! Screw dieting! She'd kick enemies down, and look damn good doing it! Man, she really didn't get enough credit, she was brainy and beautiful, damn it!

Ino blinked, noticing they were currently climbing down Hashirama's face, where Tenten was waiting on the monument's hair. Well, more like Naruto was climbing and Ino was clinging to Naruto.

With her foot on the groove of Hashirama's lip, Naruto grinned.

"Alright, Tenten, pass the final bucket to Ino. We'll paint his face, then hand the rest up to you to dump!" Naruto said, as Ino extended up to accept the tin can of paint.

Tenten had been staring at her hat for some reason, but then snapped out of it, giving a nod.

Naruto looked down at the village below, the street-lanterns illuminating the main roads. Most of the streets in Konoha weren't paved, only the upper districts had stone or brick roads. However, from up here, the village all looked so similar. Status wasn't something that mattered so high above it all, paved roads or shoddy houses, it was all Konoha.

This was one of the many reasons Naruto loved to come up here, whether to deface or just relax.

It was just _exhilarating._ The air up here was so crisp, the atmosphere was so free, with a touch of adrenaline.

The scent of the forest, paint, and Ino's perfume was something she'd never forget. Legally, this was all so wrong. Morally too, for some people.

But damn, it felt so fun.

Two friends, a horse, some silly costumes, and a killer prank, all in her favorite village.

One day, her face would be carved in this mountain, and some teen delinquents would paint her to look ridiculous. And Kami, it would be hilarious.

Just like it is now. She could only hope those kids would treasure their memories of vandalism with friends, as much as does. She was a hypocrite, she interrogated vandals, ones just like herself.  
But she really didn't care, because she was having fun with the ones she loved.

"Let's give Hashirama a pink 'stache!" Ino demanded, and Naruto moved to comply.

They handpainted the shodaime's face sporadically, making him a true work of art.

He had a pink nose, hearts on his cheek, a mustache and pink eyeliner. Not only that, but pink lipstick too. Carefully, Naruto walked herself and Ino back up to safe, earthy ground, and handed Tenten the leftover paint. The brunette dumped it with zero hesitation, and threw the can over the cliff.

"MY LEG!" A far away voice yelled, and Tenten winced.

Ino only snorted, whilst Naruto practically cackled.

"Okay gals, looks the sun will be up soon. What now?" Tenten asked, scratching her cheek bashfully.

"Well, we should probably return the horse." Ino said, completely deadpan.

"Right, 'ttebayo! Hop on then, bitches!" Naruto said, walking to the waiting horse relaxedly.

The three girls followed after her, Ino was grinning happily, and Tenten couldn't tear her eyes away from that fucking bird.

Just as the brunette climbed on the horse, she swore it nodded at her!  
Or did it? Maybe it was just gravity, or maybe that was a bobble-head? No way did Naruto have a real bird on her head. No. No way. Never. Naruto wouldn't just obtain a bird like that.

From that point on, the ride back to that rural farm was fairly normal, with Tenten forgetting to blink as she glared at the stupid bird. Things were well, really.

Unfortunately, things couldn't go _that_ well, for _that_ long.

"There's the stolen horse reported earlier, there looks to be someone riding it!" someone shouted, and simultaneously, their hearts dropped. Naruto didn't know why she'd forgotten to check the area, her sensory ability had completely slipped her mind.

This was on her.

"INO, TENTEN, I'LL RETURN THE DAMN HORSE, YOU NEED TO ESCAPE, STAT!" Naruto said, turning and leaping off the moving horse.

Her friends looked horrified, "Naruto-"

The sky was a pale pinkish purple by now, the sun was rising and that meant less time for her friends to escape.

"I've got this, I'll make cover! Bunny, shunshin away with Ino!" Naruto directed, a feral grin on her face and determined eyes.

Tenten quickly tried to assess the situation, she didn't see the person in the near vicinity, which meant they'd probably only gotten a passing glance at her friends.

She looked up at Naruto, who had some look of raw determination on her face, and about a dozen other emotions she couldn't place. For some reason, that silly plastic parakeet looked rather contemplative as well.

Tenten didn't know it, but Naruto had a vague idea of who could've found them.

"Alright, Naruto, but you better not end up in jail!" Tenten wrapped her arms around Ino, just as Naruto put her hands into the shadow clone hand seal.

"We'll bail you out if you do!" Ino said, cut off as Tenten activated the shunshin, and an army of Narutos were brought to life.

Ino and Tenten were shrouded in leaves, and all Tenten saw before she took off in shunshin, was that stupid parakeet turning to _**WINK** **AT** **HER** -_

At least a few dozen clones ran towards the farm, a clone riding the horse towards it's home.

"STOP, FIEND!" A male shinobi shouted, and Naruto rolled her eyes.

She recognized the genin corps teams when she saw them. They were the ones in charge of dealing with stupid shit like this, so it was no surprise at all.  
The worst part was that these guys were literally terrible at their jobs. She'd been giving them the slip since her pre-academy days, it would be no issue to do so now.  
Except well, they'd already seen her, which meant they'd give a description to the higher shinobi, and they'd hunt her down at her home later.

No, she could make this much more fun. She had an alternative to just running away.

"Oh, look, it's the genin corp losers! Mornin, folks!" she said, giving a warm smile to the three member squad.

They were plain, two brown-haired boys, and one black-haired girl.

"Well, if it isn't the village pariah, and a hundred of clones of her. Tell me, aren't you too old for dress up!?" The girl taunted back, looking Naruto up and down with an odd expression, and Naruto snorted.

"Never too old to have fun! Catch me if you can, corp-kids!" A clone said, blowing her a kiss as they all scattered. The girl visibly retracted for a moment, in what Naruto guessed was disgust, before shaking her head.

The one on the horse reached it's destination, poofing itself and filling Naruto's mind with memories of the same event, but from a different perspective.

The team of genin were really pissed off about that remark, judging by the expletives they muttered and the complete change in body language.

"C'mon, aren't you gonna catch me?" Another Naruto asked playfully, beckoning them to it.

"Taro, Daiki, let's split up and call for backup! I'll take the ones in front, Taro, take the ones running east, and Daiki take west. Use projectiles to eliminate all the shadow clones. Rejoin me if the real one isn't with them!" Their apparent team captain, the onyx haired girl, directed.

"Right, Aimi!" The boys said in unison, charging after their respective group of Naruto.

They were trying to take out her clones with shuriken and kunai, and the real Naruto laughed. They'd never get her with those.

This game would go on for a while, she realized.

"Oh well!" Another Naruto said with a shrug. Deciding to make it more difficult, the real Naruto took off, leading in dead-sprint away from Aimi and her team, clones trailing behind her.

"Don't turn your back to me!" Aimi screamed, chasing after the blonde. She'd left her teammates to deal with their respective groups, pursuing her own.

The Narutos laughed, leading her towards the city again. It wasn't long before Naruto ended up in the warehouse district, and Aimi had taken out half of her clones with a silver bō.

"Just give up!" Aimi shouted, striking at the real Naruto for the first time. The blonde dropped down and ducked, and the adhesive on her fake mustache finally wore away, making it fly off.

"So it's you then! That ridiculous costume of yours gave you up!" The onyx-haired girl accused, fury in her violet eyes.

Naruto whistled cooly, "Took you long enough." The smug grin on her face only further angered Aimi.

The other girl grit her teeth, "S-shut up, criminal!"

Naruto swerved away from the bō, running towards the entrance of a dead-end alleyway. Like an idiot, her fellow teen followed behind her.

Naruto whipped out two kunai, dual-wielding them in a short spar against the bō. She turned Aimi towards the wall of the dead-end alley at some point, the clashing of metal and fast movements were occupying the ravenette's every thought.

Backing her against a wall, Naruto tossed away one of her kunai, and made use of her superior body strength. Aimi raised her bō in a defensive form, textbook perfect. But unfortunately for her, not good enough.

Naruto gripped the bō with both hands, forcing it completely horizontal still in Aimi's hands.

This would've been the perfect moment for Aimi to let go, to release the weapon, but she was too prideful for that.

Her cheeks were flustered with a bright blush, for reasons Naruto didn't know, Naruto even paused for a moment, letting the girl have a moment to release. Aimi tried to resist, to push and pull her weapon away, but Naruto was just physically stronger.

Naruto slammed the bokken back, right into Aimi's chest, knocking the girl into the wall at the end of the alleyway.

She wheezed, momentarily winded. Naruto just held her there, against the wall.

Their faces were close in proximity, and the dark-haired girl blushed even more after she'd caught her breath once again.

"So, are you going to kill me?" The girl asked, sounding a bit labored.

Naruto blinked, staring blankly at the teenager she'd managed to pin to the wall.

"Of course not, this is all just part of a silly prank on my part, you're a comrade. I'd never rough you up too bad, 'ttebayo." The blonde said, giving her a heart-stopping smile.

Aimi thought she might die in that moment, though clearly not by Naruto's hand. Her heart was thumping so loud she could hear it in her ears, blood was rushing to her head, but why?!

This was the village demon, who'd managed to pin her!

Oh, but she had the nicest biceps, she could see the shape of them through the leather-Whew, it was awfull hot this morning, wasn't it? This blonde's figure was enviable, she belonged in a magazine, truly- And her hair looked so soft- And gosh, why were their faces so **_DAMN_ **close!?

"Uh, you okay?" Naruto asked, leaning in closer. Was this girl romantically-dense?! This was so improper, Aimi could practically feel her breath on her face-

"You know what, I don't care. I've gotta get running for it, sorry." Naruto said, backing up. With one hand, she held Aimi against the wall with her own bō.

With the other, she grabbed the ravenette by the collar of her shirt, pulling the fabric above her head.

She released the bō, letting it drop against the ground. With that very same hand, she used her remaining kunai to pin Aimi by her shirt, to the wooden wall. She stepped back, looking her up and down, and Aimi's stomach did flips. Naruto was checking to ensure she hadn't hurt her, but Aimi was thinking other things.

"Well, I'd better get going." Naruto untied the bandanna from her neck, and moved to tie it around Aimi's neck.

"Wha!? What're you doing?" The girl squeaked.

"Dunno." The blonde replied simply, tying the bandanna and removing her eyepatch. She also put that on Aimi, whilst the onyx-haired girl attempted to wriggle herself free.

How was the village pariah so- So cool! And laidback, and fun-! She was what Aimi had always pretended to be, this was so unfair! And why did this blonde seem so intent on flustering her?!

How could the village hate someone so perfect- This girl looked like she was sculpted by the gods, damn it!

Lastly, Naruto removed her orange cowgirl hat, which caused the bird atop to resituate itself, landing on her shoulder. Naruto placed the hat gently on Aimi's head, brushing her bangs to the side so the hair wouldn't flatten them and poke into her eyes.

Aimi knew she must've looked like a tomato in a terrible costume.

"There!" Naruto looked behind her, to see a large horde of shinobi, whilst Aimi was just _humiliated._

"Shit. Well, sayonara, Aimi-chan!~" And just like that, Naruto ran up the wall, the horde of shinobi leaping up or running to follow her.

Aimi's teammates, Daiki and Taro, decided to stay behind and help their captain.

"Kami, Aimi, that chick got you good!" Taro exclaimed, pulling out the kunai with all his might.

It took a few tugs, but eventually the boy managed to rip it out, falling on his bottom as a result.

Both boys noticed Aimi tracing the knot around the bandanna with one hand, and the other gently gracing across the string of the bandanna.

"I think we should leave the chase to the ANBU. We can't chakra-run very well yet, so we'd be of little help. Let's just go get lunch." Daiki suggested with a shrug, walking ahead. Taro gave their captain a concerned glance as she reluctantly followed. Normally, Aimi would verbally confirm or deny plans. Usually, Daiki would suggest food after their second daily mission, and Aimi would tell him to wait until they were done for the day.

Which was always after their fifth mission.

But today, this was only their second…

They followed Daiki in silence, as he led them to his favorite barbeque place.

When they sat down, enjoying their food, Taro nearly thought Aimi was fine after all. That was, until…

"Daiki, Taro.."

They looked up at their team captain, who was grazing her thumb against the brim of that ridiculous orange hat. Her eyes held a certain contemplative wistfulness, the kind you'd see on an actress in a movie, pondering the one who got away..

"How do you know if you're in love?"

Daiki choked, nearly coughing out his food. For an Akimichi like him, that was the highest expression of shock in existence.

Taro gasped, so dramatically, so loud, with a hand over his heart... before fainting.

Aimi didn't even seem to notice.

* * *

Naruto had been on the run for at least an hour now, and she'd lost about half of her horde. Many of them had given up or just gotten tired or bored. It almost reminded her of the good old days, running from a mob of shinobi, chasing her for her crimes.

By now, they were chasing her through the interior of an apartment complex, fairly close to her own.

Naruto knew the streets and buildings near her home well, she realized, as she reached the final level of this apartment complex. One more floor, and she'd be on the roof.

Her lungs burned, and her muscles screamed in protest, but the shinobi and kunoichi behind her just weren't letting up.

That was fine, she had a plan, and plenty of endurance left.

Her bangs were beginning to stick to her face from the thin sheen of sweat, and she was forced to throw her leather jacket behind her. It hit some poor civilian boy in the face, but Naruto was focused on staying ahead.

She sprinted up the final set of stairs, throwing open the doors to the roof. She sucked in a deep breath, loving the fresh air. That was something which never got old. She knew that at the northern edge of this building, there was an alley full of dumpsters. She was hoping, practically praying things would work in her favor.

She approached the edge, looking back at the crowd behind her, then behind her. Down in the alley, there was an open dumpster, looking perfect for her plan.

"We've got you cornered, give up!" A voice shouted, in between pants.

"Every working shinobi has been given your description, you'll be detained now or later. Resistance is futile." An ANBU with a sheep mask informed her, arms folded over their chest.

"Two words." Naruto said, smiling brightly. The crowd hesitated, looking amongst one another.

"Fuck yourselves." She threw herself over the ledge, knowing the dumpster full of garbage would break her fall. Then, she'd just close the lid, and hide. She heard gasps, but no movement.

The fall felt exhilirating, beyond anything she'd felt before. She supposed that free-falling would ellicit that kind of response, even if she knew she wasn't going to die.

As far as she was concerned, her plan was perfect. No real risk for serious injury, she'd get to sneak home for a while and shower, maybe even have unch before the shinobi came and took her in. It would be great.

Well, that's what she thought as she plummeted towards the dumpster, fully intent on just letting herself land inside it.

Until well, she was caught in _human_ arms.

She blinked in confusion. She'd looked down, no one had been here moments ago. Had that stupid sheep anbu shunshined?

She turned her head, and nope, that was NOT who caught her.

No, this was much worse.

It was someone she was fairly familiar with, one Ibiki Morino.

"H-heeeey, Ibiki…" She greeted nervously, to the man with the world's bitchiest resting face.

"You look surprised." He said simply.

She scrunched her nose. "Uh, obviously, 'ttebane.."

"Do you truly think I wouldn't hear about the village wide chase for my subordinate, Naruto Uzumaki? When I noticed you leading your crowd or hunters into this building, it was simple for me to decipher your final move."

Naruto blinked again, as Ibiki placed her on the ground. She knew better than to resist now, at least. He put on her handcuffs fairly gently, at least. That was the most you could really expect from Ibiki.

It was moments like that, that made Naruto realize Ibiki was incredibly smart.

Most people would never guess Naruto's wild schemes until she explained them.

"Damn, Ibiki. You're pretty smart."

He grunted in reply, before throwing her over his shoulder. She felt pretty comparable to a lightweight bag of rice right about now.  
Where she'd been stronger, taller, and faster than her opponent Aimi earlier, Ibiki served to remind her she was a 5' genin with a lot more work to do. To her peers, her skills, and muscles, might be impressive. But compared to an adult, she was a kid playing dress up.

The girls might think her muscles were cool, but Ibiki had arms like tree-trunks, which made her look like a twig. She sighed as he heaved her back to T&I.

This time, she'd be the one getting interrogated.

* * *

Being an employee of the very department which currently detained her, Naruto had to at least appreciate how good of an interrogator Ibiki was, even if he wasn't really trying.

He'd been non-stop questioning her for an hour now, but looked like he'd be giving up pretty soon. Knowing interrogation tactics through and through made you more immune to them. And so did unwavering loyalty to your friends.

"Witnesses reported seeing you with two other individuals, but you keep claiming otherwise." Ibiki pressed, locking eyes with her.

"Oh, that's an easy one to explain!" Naruto said, tilting her head.

His face remained as blank as ever, as he stared unwaveringly.

"Yeesh, if you want an explanation, learn to ask." She muttered, before continuing.

"You see, Ibiki-sensei, a loser like me has got zero friends. None at all, really. So I got real damn bored, made two clones of myself, and decided to go commit some crimes for much-needed attention." She said it with zero inflection, no pauses, and a general lack of emotion.

Ibiki's sharp eyes narrowed, as he thought over the answer. He really didn't give half a fuck about this, but that answer at least made him think a little.

Did Naruto have friends? He hadn't really thought about that before, caring about things like that was more of Inoichi's style. He'd thought he'd heard gossip about her friends before, or heard Inoichi mention his daughter training with Naruto. But were they friends? Naruto wasn't the type of person clan heirs would typically befriend, he knew from experience. He'd grown up being an outcast himself, though for different reasons, as had Anko.

Clan heirs didn't associate with their types, at least not too openly. Silently, part of him hoped that wasn't true for Naruto and her generation.

He felt a bit of disgust, him hoping for something?! Was he growing soft?!

Moving on from that thought, he determined Naruto probably _did_ have friends.

"So, what are your friends like?" He asked simply.

"Oh, not stupid enough to enjoy my plans, that's for sure." Naruto answered, giving him a devilish smile.

Ah, so she did have friends, good. But was she lacking in self-esteem? She seemed rather confident most times. But she'd called her own plans stupid, which could be self-awareness. But then again, she'd called herself a loser, so maybe it was a self-esteem issue.

However, when she'd said that last answer, there'd been a small sign of lying, Naruto broke her gaze with him. Now with most people, there were no universal signs of a liar. But Naruto hardly ever looked him in the eye while lying, it was a pattern of hers.

No, instead she'd looked to the top left, which usually indicated Naruto was thinking retrospectively.

So, Ibiki came to another conclusion. Naruto did have friends, she DID have self esteem issues, and her friends were _probably_ stupid enough to follow her plans.

He knew there were dozens of other questions he should be asking, but Ibiki wasn't really concerned. Naruto would be punished for her actions all the same, so what if he wanted to ask more personal questions? His own peace of mind was more important than her goofy prank.

She hadn't hurt anyone, afterall.

He was wondering if the girl really did do the prank for the sake of attention.

"Earlier you stated you commited crimes for the sake of gaining attention. Explain."

Naruto looked momentarily surprised. "Oh, that was a lie, I don't really do that anymore. It was mostly for fun."

He took extreme note of the words _mostly_ , and _anymore_.

Internally, he sighed, loudly and exhaustedly. There was silence in the room for quite a few minutes.

"Although I don't condone theft, trespassing, or vandalism… There's one thing I have to ask." Ibiki trailed off, standing up from the metal desk.

"Yeah?" Naruto asked, looking up from her cuffed hands with that constant grin of hers.

"Did you have fun?" He questioned, almost quietly.

Her smile widened so much, he thought her face might split in half.

"Hell yeah I did!"

He paused. "Good to hear. Don't do it again." He commanded, eyes locked on her. He pushed in his chair, breaking eye contact and hesitating for a moment.

He extended his arm out, and ever-so-gently, he patted the blonde girl's head.

Naruto was completely frozen, shocked at the three deliberate pats to her head. She made a noise of surprise, but Ibiki made a beeline for the door, leaving her with a string of parting words.

"You're a good kid at heart, never change, kid."

And just like that, Ibiki was gone. He was fairly convinced he knew the real story, there was no reasoning for further questioning. Naruto had likely gotten her friends in on her scheme, felt bad when they'd gotten caught, and took all of the blame.

It was… Telling of her true character, he concluded.

That was when Naruto realized... He'd left the room. And left her there.

"Ibiki?" She called, to no avail.

"Dude, come back, I'm still in cuffs!"

...

"Come on, don't just leave me here! I don't wanna have to dislocate my own thumbs!" She pleaded...

...

"Seriously, Ibiki-sensei, that shit hurts!"

That night, Naruto went home with two dislocated thumbs.

* * *

* * *

_And, an extra drawing of Naruto, done by me, for your viewing pleasure..._

_(pls do not bully my art i am sensitive lol)_

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Hello, Hello! I am INCREDIIBLLY late to publishing this, I know, and it's not even what I promised. I understand if you want to behead me, I really do.  
>  However... I did do some art for this story, which might console you just a bit. On DeviantArt, under the username HorrorEcho, you can find some drawings I've done of Naruto, and one drawing I did for Chapter Eight!   
> If it works, you might also see a drawing at the end of this chapter? Unsure, I don't really know how to use A03... I just discovered this feature, heh....
> 
> This chapter was a lot of fun to write, even though I pulled the Omake ideas out of my ass, I hope they're enjoyable! If you liked them, suggest ideas for more! (EX. Naruto and Co go skating, or something!) There's a decent possibility there will be more chapters like this in the future, so I hope you didn't hate it.
> 
> So what did you think of the Cookie omake, or Naruto's ridiculous schemes, and Aimi's little crush? Aimi, Daiki, and Taro are OCs, which you'll probably never see again. If people would like, I might one day include another omake with them? I dunno!
> 
> Finals week is kicking my ass, but the first part of Chapter Eight is coming along well. If you have suggestions be it for chapter eight, or an omake, leave a comment! This applies to anything else you might like to say, as well. I read every comment!
> 
> This story has far more readers, and far more kudos and comments than I EVER expected. Seriously, I'm so beyond grateful for all the love this story has received.   
> So, thank you, and much love, you're all darlings, and I'm blowing you hella kisses.


	10. Chapter Eight: Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sweetness, and slight slice-of-life vibes, as Naruto goes through fun with friends, training, and many lunch-time hangouts. Ino accepts change, and Team 9 makes a decision! 
> 
> Naruto's first C-Rank is on the horizon!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hate this chapter, but I hope you don't!

_**CHAPTER EIGHT:**_

" _ **...Don't wanna grow up, I wanna get out.**_ _**Hey, take me away!**_ _**I want to shout out.."**_

* * *

_**Tenten's Weapon Shop** _

* * *

Naruto trotted into Tenten's weapon shop happily, a stupid grin on her face. She'd used her extra money from all those D-ranks to finally buy her friend a gift. A travelling merchant who sold Shinobi gear had stopped by Konoha recently, and the blonde had taken time to make a purchase.

The brunette, who was standing behind the counter, smiled brightly. "Hey Naru-chan! You rarely come in here on Mondays, what's up?"

Naruto could hardly contain her excitement, she'd been waiting all day to give Tenten her gift.

"Oh, just stopping in to see my partner in crime. And deliver something.." She trailed off, intentionally trying to catch her friend's curiosity.

Tenten quirked a brown eyebrow, tilting her head slightly.

"Deliver what?"

"Oh, well you see.. There was this merchant in town the other day, and I know your birthday happened a while ago, but.." She trailed off yet again, causing her friend to tilt her head even further.

"Spit it out, dork." The brunette demanded playfully, a smile still gracing her features.

"Yeesh! So damn pushy, dattebane. I got you something, I think you'll really like it." Following that statement, the younger girl took out an ochre-colored scroll, with a bright red wax seal keeping the aged parchment rolled shut.

It also had a tacky orange bow, which Tenten just _knew_ that Naruto added herself. Hesitantly taking the scroll, she eyed it curiously.

Her blonde friend was practically radiating eagerness, as she began to pull off the bow.

"C'mon, open it already!" N aruto blurted out, Tenten shooting her a look of pure incredulity.

She pulled off the wax seal, and began unrolling the scroll.

The brunette gasped in disbelief. In the scroll, there were instructions on five earth-style techniques.

Tenten just knew that a scroll full of powerful ninjutsu techniques had to be expensive.

Especially considering that only one of them was marked as D-rank techniques, which was the Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu. Written beneath the technique name, there was a chart of hand-signs, and instructions on how to mold the chakra.

Even further below that, in fine print, it said how flexible this technique is, being a derivative of the Earth Style: Underground Moving technique.

Even though the instructions for that weren't listed, Tenten was sure that if she could use the Headhunter Jutsu, she could nail the Underground Moving technique as well.

Following that, there was an offensive technique, called Earth Style: Rupturing Palm. A C-rank used to break apart the earth, with only three hand seals.

As she continued reading the scroll, she didn't even notice the grin on her face getting bigger and bigger.

Listed without any rank, an all range technique called Earth Style: Stone Pistol jutsu. It's listed as being an excellent technique for collaboration, and quite flexible. The technique allows the user to create rocks by focusing chakra to their mouth, and then spitting them at targets. If the user wills it, they can expand the size of the rocks into boulders after they spit them.

The technique requires decent control, but the amount of chakra used can vary, which is probably why it has no rank.

Tenten knew right away that technique would be worth gold to her, considering how flexible it could be.

The fourth technique was actually defensive.

Earth Style:Rock Wall, B-rank. Listed as being somewhat chakra intensive, but not requiring significant control, which made it B-rank.

Once again, hand seals were listed, and then there was the final technique.

Earth Style: Rock Fist technique, one she'd actually heard of before. It once again had no rank, listed as requiring good control to form a sturdy gauntlet of earth around the hands.

Chakra usage was flexible, depending on the size of the gauntlet.

It was perfect, as were all the rest. Due to Naruto's suggestion that she improve her close-combat skills, she had done so.

But even after doing that, she'd realized just how amazing Lee and Neji were in taijutsu.

Neji was fluid and precise, with perfect forms that looked effortless.

Lee was strong, with furious strikes containing plenty of power. When he hit you, he hit hard.

Not only that, but Lee was _fast._ She couldn't imagine how fast he'd be without those weights.

But unlike either of them, Tenten's taijutsu wasn't anything of note.

She used a modified version of the academy style, and that was it. She wasn't ridiculously flexible and balanced like Naruto, who moved like a water-snake. She wasn't strong and fast like Lee, and she wasn't perfect and precise like Neji.

She was just Tenten, the long-range weaponry specialist. Who had meager skills in close-combat as well.

She'd been considering getting weights herself, to up her combat power and speed.

But now she wouldn't need to, if she could materialize stone gauntlets onto her fists, it would up her striking power substantially. She'd seen Lee crack the earth with a full-powered kick.

It wasn't like Neji, or Lee, or Naruto to use stone gauntlets, it was just like Tenten. It fit her perfectly, and Naruto must've known that when she bought the damn thing.

"Naruto, I- I really don't know what to say. This had to have cost a fortune! I mean, these are techniques which I've never even heard of!" She said with great disbelief.

Naruto chuckled, "Yeah, because the merchant selling this had picked it up from Iwagakure in his travels. It cost a pretty penny, but it was totally worth it, 'ttebayo!" Naruto didn't bother sharing how shady the guy was, or that he'd probably acquired that scroll illegally. That might ruin the mood, after all.

Tenten might have been a little bit teary eyed. Just a bit.

"Ugh, you dork! Get over here and give me a hug!" The brunette said, wrapping the blonde tightly in her arms.

She squeezed the girl with all her might, "C-can't- Breathe-" The blonde rasped out, to which the brunette immediately released her.

"I'm glad you like it, but I've gotta get going, Bunny. Anko will kick my ass if I'm late again!" Naruto said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Oh, right! You should come train with me and my team this Wednesday, you'll get to see me use one of these awesome techniques!" She said cheerfully, holding the scroll of jutsu close to her chest.

"Oh hell yeah, I'll be there!" Naruto said, waving goodbye as she ran out the door.

* * *

_**The Forest of Death** _

* * *

"OH COME ON, KID! PEEL YOURSELF OFF THE GROUND AND TRY HARDER!" Anko cheered, from her place in the trees.

"No matter how hard I try, I just can't hit you!" Naruto shouted in frustration, clutching the senbon in her fist even tighter.

She stood up, dusting the dirt off her clothes. Her knees were scraped up from the fall she'd taken, with blood staining her orange knee-high socks.

Anko looked fairly nonplussed, despite Naruto's childish outburst.

"Damn, are you just going to give up?" Anko asked, putting a hand on her hip nonchalantly. She didn't spare Naruto even a glance of pity, no matter how much she loved the girl. The real world wouldn't spare Naruto, so neither would she.

The blonde growled, grabbing the pigtails on each side of her head. She really hated these new training exercises, chasing Anko through the Forest Of Death was annoying enough.

Chasing her while throwing senbon rapid-fire and hoping to actually _get_ her was even _more annoying._

"You need to figure out how to use those, being a whine-ass isn't going to accomplish anything." She furrowed her purple brows, looking down at the growling blonde.

Naruto leapt to her feet, her nose scrunched and eyes narrowed.

"THIS SUCKS!" She screamed again, throwing another volley of weapons.

Anko grinned wildly, noticing that at least when it came to raw determination and guts, Naruto hadn't changed in the least.

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT, BRAT!" Anko declared, barely dodging a well-thrown kunai.

About an hour later, Naruto and Anko took seats in their usual booth, at their usual dango shop.

The nice waitress with the honey-smooth voice, who always tended to their table when they came here, was headed their way in an instant.

"Let me guess, the usual?" She asked, looking amused as she twirled a pen in her hand.

"Yup, a batch of dango for me, and some mitsumane for the doll!" Anko said, thrumming her fingers against the dark-oak table. Naruto snorted at being called a doll, as if she didn't look like a whole mess. Her clothes and skin were dirty, her hair was wild and messy, and she still had blood on her knees and fingers.

Even so..

The pleasant grin on Anko's face never failed to brighten Naruto's day, even after excruciating training which had left her battered and bruised.

"You've got it." The curly-haired waitress said, turning on her heel and strutting away.

Anko wolf-whistled as the woman walked away, watching as her silhouette disappeared into the kitchen.

Naruto rolled her eyes, very used to her surrogate sister's antics by now. Her sensei just loved to flirt, and that was that. Nothing would change that fact, either.

"Anko-nee," Naruto whined, her elbows propped up on the table as her head rested against her palm.

"Yeees?" Two ochre colored eyes crinkled slightly with her pleasant grin, one which hardly fell when Naruto was around.

"Don't you have anything better to do than hit on strangers? Like, I dunno, talk to your darling sister-student?" Naruto asked in the sweetest, most sarcastic voice she could muster.

"Heyy, Mari-chan is not a stranger, she's your future sister-sensei in law." Anko said, rudely pointing her index right at Naruto.

The twin-tailed blonde snorted loudly. "You said that about the last guy."

Anko went to speak, but Naruto wasn't finished.

"And the girl before that. And then the guy before that. Annnnnd, the person before those two-"

"Okay, okay, I get it, damn!" Anko said, chuckling and waving her hand.

Naruto covered her mouth as she giggled, a trait she'd picked up from her dear friend Ino.

"Sooooo, what's up with you and your little girlfriends? Anything cool or traumatic happened recently?" Anko asked, still thrumming her fingers against the table.

Naruto rolled her eyes, "Psh, no! No more trauma yet. It's weird, things have been so fucking good recently, it's starting to make me real suspicious." Naruto said, clasping her hands behind her head.

Anko snorted, but nodded nonetheless. That was something she could certainly relate to, after years as a shinobi, she'd learned to suspect the worst at every corner.

"Well… Aren't you going to ask how I am?" Anko said, placing her hand over her heart dramatically.

The jinchuriki hummed for a minute, before tilting her head.

"No." Naruto replied dryly, closing her eyes.

It was silent for just a moment, as if the purplette had to comprehend what had been said.

"Why you rotten little brat!" Anko was now halfway across the table, an angry twitch in her brow.

Aggressively, the jounin was pinching and pulling Naruto's whiskered cheeks, all while the blonde tried to protest.

"Whatever happened to sweet little Naruto who idolized her sensei, hm? Where'd that cute little girl who cried when I took her shopping go? Was it puberty? Because I'll find a way to rever-"

"Your orders, miss." Mari the waitress interrupted, a plate of delicious deserts in each hand. The waitress, with her golden ringlets that seemed to bounce with every movement she made, looked completely unbothered. She was used to this behavior by now.

Anko slowly turned to meet Mari's gaze, all the malice in her eyes suddenly gone. Mari gave the teary-eyed Naruto a pitying glance, noticing the angry red marks Anko was making on her face.

"Oh, great timing!" Anko said pleasantly, sitting back down in her seat. Naruto scoffed, rubbing her cheeks softly.

"Crazy bitch." Naruto muttered, glaring to the side, at nothing in particular.

Anko looked at her, dangerous eyes promising pain. "You say somethin'?"

Naruto paled, "Course not, my lovely big sister!" She bowed her head, which appeased the demon inside of Anko, apparently.

Mari placed their plates down, turning to leave before the snake summoner could ask for her number _again_.

(She'd given her the damn thing a hundred times.)

"Great, now eat! You'll never get any taller if you don't feed yourself, short stuff." Anko said, picking up one of her dango.

Knowing there was no point in retorting, Naruto took a bite of her mitsumane. That didn't mean Naruto didn't spare Anko a very sour glower, though.

Not that the older woman even noticed it, anyway.

"You know, I'm considering taking the Elite Jounin Exam soon." Anko informed, mouth full of dango. Naruto leaned in on the table, her cerulean eyes widening.

"Woah! For real? You'd kick ass, I just know it!" Naruto said, mouth equally full.

If Tenten or Ino were here, they'd probably curse her out. Good thing they weren't, because manners totally sucked.

"You think?" Anko asked, a grin on her face which seemed a bit too prideful.

"Of course! Inoichi is a jounin, so is Ibiki, and Hayate, but you could kick their asses, all at the same time! Believe it!" Naruto declared, flexing her bicep and tapping it.

Anko snorted, looking to her own arms. True, she could definitely run Hayate into the ground.. But Inoichi and Ibiki? Maybe Naruto had a little idol worship reserved for her, which made her think such things.

She sucked her teeth, picking up another stick of dango. "Hayate, for sure. All I gotta do is start running, dude would have an asthma attack in no time."

Naruto chortled loudly, feeling a tinge of guilt despite that Anko was right. "Yeesh, Anko-nee! No need to bully the poor guy behind his back!"

The purplette rolled her eyes, "He knows we love him, it's not like the bastard doesn't make jokes about us."

Naruto huffed, remembering all the short jokes Hayate had subjected her to, and suddenly didn't feel bad all.

"True enough. Anyway," Naruto said, clearing her throat before going back to the subject at hand.

"Inoichi is like forty, he doesn't train like you do, you've got way better muscles! You can take him, dattebayo!" The blonde reiterated, taking an enormous bite of her mitsumane.

Anko actually chuckled at that, "Yeah, maybe physically, but he's smarter than you think. He's practically a genius."

"Whateverrr, biceps are way cooler than brains." Naruto waved her hand dismissively.

The woman shook her head in disbelief, but Naruto still wasn't done.

"Ibiki would be tougher, methinks. He's real strong, and real damn smart too. You'd have to pull out all the stops." The blonde nodded and tapped her chin, as if she were saying something beyond wise.

"So you think I could beat Inoichi easier than Ibiki? Wait 'till I tell them that!" She said, followed by a bark of laughter.

"Hey, hey! It's not like that, Inoichi is just more of a support guy!" The blonde amended, imagining the look in Inoichi's face if he knew what she'd said.

A shiver ran up her spine, and Anko snorted.

"Doesn't matter, I know my limits, and I'm not sure I could take either of them." Said the older woman, with a roll of her eyes;

"You talk like they're kages or something." Naruto shrugged at her, still thinking it over in her mind. She knew for a fact Anko was one of the best when it came to thrown weapons, her only notable competitor being a man named Genma Shiranui, who Anko called 'Senbon-Sucker.' Anko also had great taijutsu, summons, and a decent ninjutsu arsenal. Not only that, but Anko was great with stealth, and had more tenacity than most.

She could at least go toe-to-toe with Ibiki and Inoichi, she concluded internally.

Anko gnawed on her dango with a slightly pensive expression. "They're not infamous for nothin', kid. But you know, maybe. Let's just hope a loser administers my exam, easy wins are preferred." She said, sitting back leisurely.

Naruto could tell though, she was a bit nervous. It was intentional, if Anko wanted to be completely guarded, she would. But Anko was comfortable with her, letting down all of her walls without second thought.

It was just another sign of how close they'd become.

"Right, easy wins! You know, maybe I could go prank all the super tough jounin so they have to stay home on the day of your exam, then you'd certainly get some nobody." Naruto said, a magical lightbulb appearing over her head.

"Pretty sure that's cheating, but I can't say I would mind if somehow the top players were all trapped at home." The purple haired jounin twirled a stick of dango around the tip of her finger absently, an advanced chakra exercise that Naruto knew she could never mimic.

"Top players?" The blonde questioned, cocking her head to the side.

"Yup, you know, the big guys. Asuma Sarutobi, Might Guy-"

"Hey, I know him, 'ttebayo! He's great!" Naruto interrupted, causing Anko to snort.

"You mean a lunatic? Anywaaay-"

"Right! Continue!" Naruto interrupted once more, getting a dangerous look in return. She shrunk in her seat, ever so slightly.

"Then there's a friend of mine, Kurenai Yuuhi. And of course, who could forget the top dog himself, Kakashi Hatake." She finished, eyes locked on her student as she said the last name.

Naruto almost flinched at the name. That was the guy who'd been like a son to her father. The one and only, the legendary Copy Ninja Kakashi.

She made a noise of disgust, sticking out her tongue.

"Man, you hate him and you don't even know the guy. Maybe he had a good reason for ditching you." Anko suggested, with an indifferent look on her face as she finally stopped spinning her dango.

Naruto gave her the driest, most deadpan expression she could muster.

"Don't care. Bastard has to know I exist. He should at least be paying child support." She flipped her hair over her shoulder dramatically, taking a smile bite of her desert.

Anko choked on her dango, "You know, I could easily make a dirty joke out of that, but I've gotta ask.. Do you even know what child support is?!" Anko questioned with a face-splitting grin.

"Duh. It's when you support a child." Naruto answered nonchalantly, looking at Anko as if _she_ were the stupid one.

Internally, Anko noted that Naruto's deadlast side was showing.

"Close, but no. Child support is giving money to your child or the other parent.. And since you're not his damn child, you totally just insinuated that you _had_ his child." Anko looked so incredibly smug by the end of her statement, watching as Naruto grew both disgusted and flustered.

"Nuh-uh! I totally did not insinuate that! You just have a dirty mind! I'm fourteen, you know! That'd be gross, and super illegal, and like, gross, dattebayo!" Naruto declared, making an expression of pure repulsion.

Anko broke into a fit of maniacal laughter, "Makes what you said even worse! You implied Hatake is some sort of cradle-robber!" She howled, practically exuding self-satisfaction.

"I DID NOT!

* * *

_**Training Ground 9** _

* * *

Just as she had promised to Tenten, Naruto was there on that wednesday afternoon, albeit slightly late.

"Hellooooo losers!" Naruto greeted loudly, running into Training Field 9 excitedly. The forest around the training field seemed to liven up at her appearance, with birds chirping as winds rustled the trees.

Lee turned to face her instantly, waving vigorously. "Good morning, Naruto!" He said with a smile so bright it could burn away your retinas.

Tenten and Neji turned towards her in a more lackadaisical way, lacking Lee's boundless energy.

"You're late!" Tenten chirped, and Naruto shrugged.

"Fashionably late." Naruto said with a ghost of a smirk on her face.

She swore that Neji rolled his white-eyes.

"What, no greeting, O-Neji-senpai?" Naruto feigned with fake hurt, walking right up to the pair. Lee, who was practicing lifting _boulders_ across the field, dropped his enormous rock abruptly. Then, without even sparing a glance to the crater he'd just created in the ground, started walking in their direction as Naruto waved him over.

"That name is both dreadful and incorrect. Good afternoon, though." Naruto smiled at him brightly, and the boy averted his white eyes immediately.

When Lee finally joined them, Naruto noticed he was completely sweat-soaked- but as lively as ever. He and Naruto gave each other a serious glance, before engaging in their **Ritual**.

A fist bump, a high-five, then hooking their hands together, a hip bump, then giving a two-handed, crossed arm hand-shake. Following that, a sequence of clapping eachothers hands, snapping, and slapping in an oddly complicated sequence.

Tenten was watching with a deadpan expression, whilst Neji had a look of morbid curiosity.

"Just two shinobi playing some weird version of patty-cake, nothing to see here." The brunette girl said with a sigh. Why must her friends be so… embarassing? She'd really like to know..

"It is not patty-cake, it is much more than a silly game!" Rock Lee corrected, as they continued doing their weird hand ritual.

"It's a secret handshake!" Naruto added, finishing their handshake with a _final_ hip bump.

Neji huffed, and Tenten grimaced. "...How childish…" Neji mumbled, narrowing his eyes at the pair.

"You're just jealous, 'ttebayo!" Lee nodded along to Naruto's proclamation, as if she'd just said something truly profound.

Neji pinched the bridge of his nose, tired of them already.

Don't get him wrong, Neji considered them his friends, his only friends at that. Lee and Tenten were his teammates, and Naruto had opened his eyes to a truth he'd never seen.

She'd been the one to slap the sense into him, the one who made him question everything he thought he knew.

After their fight last month, Neji had followed her advice and asked Hiashi.. What he'd been presented with… It was earth-shattering. His father, Hizashi, had willingly handed his life over for Hiashi.

He'd left Neji with a scroll explaining himself, and for the first time in years, Neji had been moved to tears when he read it.

His father had decided his own fate. Naruto was _right._ Fate had been nothing but a lie he told himself.

He respected her more than he thought she could ever understand.

Yes, she was wild, and ridiculous, and entirely silly. But she was good-hearted, she'd tolerated his shit and forced him to look underneath it all.

So he would tolerate her shit, too.

Including her incorrect use of prefixes and suffixes, her odd handshakes, and everything else that came with her.

That was friendship, something he was slowly learning to understand. Not like Lee, Tenten or Naruto would let him get by without understanding something so basic.

Or at least, something so basic to _them_.

Naruto clamped her hand on his and Tenten's shoulders. "Don't look so glum, Neji! We can include you two in on our special handshake, if ya want!"

Tenten's decline was immediate, and stern. "No thanks, Naru."

Naruto rolled her eyes, "Whatever, Bunny. Are we gonna train, or what!?"

Tenten grinned softly, glad to leave the subject of special handshakes behind her.

"Guy-sensei isn't here yet, so we're just gonna have to wing it. Lee, do you wanna practice your evasion with me? I could get some target practice in that way." Tenten suggested brightly.

Naruto eyed her suspiciously…. Did Tenten pick that idea up from Anko? Because she swore that time Anko had "trained" her and Tenten in "evasion" it'd been traumatic for her bunheaded friend..

Apparently, she'd been wrong…?

Pulling her attention away from Tenten, she looked back at Neji, who looked somewhat contemplative. Damn him and his pretty face, because he actually looked cool when lost in thought.

Naruto just looked stupid when she did that. Ibiki had once said she looked like her brain might start smoking.

"That leaves us, then, Neeeeejjiii!" She said, drawing out the syllables in his name. He snapped out of his stupor, looking over at her.

"Right, that will do fine. What should we work on?" He asked, as Tenten and Lee headed towards their own little spot.

Naruto internally gave the boy a moment of silence, knowing the torment that Tenten was about to put him through.

"Hell if I know!" Naruto chirped back, turning her full attention to her training partner for the day.

He clicked his tongue, thinking for a moment. He cast away all of those thoughts about making a handshake with Naruto, and opted to get right down to business.

"Your taijutsu has a few glaring issues, perhaps I could help you correct them." He offered, and the blonde rolled her eyes at his formality.

"What's wrong with it?" She asked, rolling her shoulder before beginning some light stretches.

She felt some sliver of satisfaction as she felt her joints pop, especially when the particular sensation of multiple pops ran up her spine.

"Your style… Isn't exactly suited for your size. Your stance needs work." He was careful with his wording, careful not to offend his friend.

Her left eye twitched, "Are you calling me fat, or short?" She asked, a bit irritated despite finding it a _little_ funny. Only a little though, because she was getting really tired of everyone remarking on her size. First Hayate and Anko calling her short, and now Neji was calling her _fat_ and _short_?

The feelings of _embarrassment, regret, and discomfort_ rolled off Neji when she asked that.

She almost thought he was flustered, judging by a light pink tint on his cheeks. "No! You are not obese-"

She had to fight back a snort, losing any anger she might've had. Seeing an embarrassed Neji was just priceless, the blonde would admit.

"You're just, well- Short and-"

"Stocky?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Kami, Naruto loved teasing people. Damn Anko for rubbing off on her, because the way he sputtered for a moment was _hilarious_.

"Not at all! You're just rather curvilinear and short, that's it! Your style is meant for taller, more willowy types, it's easy to see." He huffed, sticking his nose up to try and feign being aloof. He looked so incredibly embarrassed, but Naruto couldn't let up yet. Mostly because she had no clue what the fuck curvilinear even meant.

"Cur-vill-ahn-ee-r?" She mispronounced the word, cocking a brow up in confusion.

Neji made an odd noise, something between an angry yelp and a humiliated groan. For a Hyuuga, it must've been fairly undignified, because he immediately covered his mouth.

The look on his face made Naruto wonder if this entire conversation was taking years off his lifespan. Hell, he looked like he might have a stroke right then and there.

"Gah! Rubenesque, shapely, voluptuous- Buxom- Curvaceous!" He damn near shouted the words, listing synonyms rapid fire. He even went so far as to move his hands in a very particular, hour-glass shape, before slamming a palm into his forehead.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Lee look at them with confusion, nearly getting hit with a kunai.

It took Naruto a minute, but she finally got what he meant, despite the big, complicated words he used. Really, it was his helpful demonstration with his hands that clued her in.

She let out a loud hoot, before breaking into hysterical laughter.

"Stop laughing this instant!" Neji demanded, jabbing his index finger at the girl. Naruto was folded over, holding her stomach as she wheezed.

"You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me-" She was interrupted by her own giggles. "You should've just said that, 'ttebayo!"

Seriously, he should've, because maybe this situation wouldn't have devolved into this.

Though, she had to admit she was surprised, because she'd never had anyone comment on her…. Er, shape before…

Anko had joked before about her developing early, or about her having a slight baby-face. But that was it, really.

At least it wasn't another damn remark on her height, that was for sure. She might have blown a gasket if he'd pointed out her height.

"You know, you could've just made it easier on yourself and acknowledged my beauty outright!" She said, draping her arm around him.

Almost immediately, he threw her off. Literally. He threw off her arm and shoved her with moderate force.

"I didn't mean it like that, and you know it!" He declared, as Naruto straightened herself eyes darted from her, before he stuck his nose to the side in typical Hyuuga fashion. She hid her giggles behind very fake coughs.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Let's get to fixin' my taijutsu, please!" He scowled at her momentarily, before shifting into a ready stance.

"Very well, run through your katas." He said begrudgingly, and Naruto grinned.

She ran through her forms as directed, and Neji nodded along the entire time, before stopping her abruptly at her first defensive form.

"Your arms are raised too high, if you were taller, this would be okay. But you're not." He said, almost snidely, making Naruto scowl. Maybe she'd blow a gasket after all, she mused, as she forced her face to stop twitching.

"And second, your gait isn't wide enough for your.. Shape. It will better accommodate your mass, and retain better balance to widen your stance." He explained, pushing her arms down slightly.

She widened her stance, her feet slightly farther apart than her shoulders, and blinked in surprise.

"Isn't that better?" Neji asked, an eyebrow raised quizzically, as if he didn't know the answer.

She tried a few different stances, each with her gait wider, and immediately liked the change. She'd been so absorbed in getting the forms perfect, she hadn't taken the time to adjust them the way she should've.

"Perhaps when blocking, you should also widen the form your arms take up. Though I'm sure that your particular style doesn't integrate very much blocking."

"Ahh, you're right, it doesn't! You're such a smartie, O-Neji-sama!" She teased, trying another defensive form with her widened gait. Neji had been right, it felt much better. She supposed that all the time she'd spent perfecting the exact katas hadn't allowed her much freedom, for small changes like this.

He stuck his nose up yet again, looking away without a refused to walk into her traps ever again. _Ever_. _Again_.

"So mean, 'ttebayo! First you call my nicknames dreadful, then you called me fat and short, and now you're giving me the cold shoulder! My poor, weak heart can't handle this!" She said, placing a hand dramatically onto her chest.

Naruto knew inside she probably wouldn't do this if Neji weren't so fun to tease. So, it was his fault, for making it so much fun.

Well, it was always fun, unless it was happening to her. Then it was bullying, and totally wrong.

Like what Anko had done the other day with the _child support_ thing. That was certainly bullying. Very _cruel_ , _heartless_ , _**senseless**_ bullying.

This was harmless fun!

Neji ignored her dramatics, shaking his head at her in blatant disapproval. Nope, he still isn't walking into her traps. He had dignity to preserve.

"Sheesh, maybe I should've trained with Ino and her team instead. She's so much nicer to me.." She sighed, looking into the distance with fabricated sadness.

There wasn't a chance she'd train with Ino's team, because for one, she had no damn spare time for that. She spent most of her time training already. And two, she didn't think she could deal with constant chip-crunching while she tried to refine her abilities. Nor could she deal with the constant smoking from Ino's sensei, the smell of which clung to Ino after every training session she had to them.

Neji was quick to reply, his eyes on her yet again, this time without scorn. "That won't be necessary." Naruto snorted, "I'm only messing with you!" The Hyuuga's face was as unimpressed with her teasing as ever, beginning to look exhausted with her.

Neji sighed, something which was genuinely dramatic, before they finally continued with their training.

About an hour of this passed, of Naruto running through katas, and Neji correcting them, with her occasional teasing sprinkled in.

"So, have you made any progress in your poison work?" Neji asked, and Naruto wasn't sure if he was desperate for some sort of small-talk to stop her teasing, or if he was actually interested.

"Oh uh, it's kind of embarrassing, but I've put them on standby. I have other things I need to work on for now. I can make some killer itching powder, though!" Her voice went from hesitant, to a delighted chirp at the mentioned itching powder.

"I see.. Well, when you're back on the subject, perhaps you could show me the basics. I've been looking for something new to integrate into my arsenal." He said, hesitantly.

Naruto blinked in surprise, _Neji_ , he Hyuuga prodigy.. Wanted _her_ to teach him something? The _hell_?

Before she could ask him to elaborate, Tenten shouted from across the field.

"Look, guys!" She said, her voice beyond ecstatic.

Both Naruto and Neji turned their heads, seeing a surprised Lee (who resembled a pin-cushion,) and a Tenten who was _radiating_ joy.

On each of her hands, Tenten had two enormous gauntlets made of rock.

"That's awesome, holy shit! That's one of the jutsu from the scroll, isn't it?" Naruto asked, leaving Neji behind to run to Tenten.

Neji watched her go, sighing before following behind. They hadn't finished correcting her katas yet, nor had he gotten an answer for his question. Damn Naruto and her one-track mind.

"It is! I've been practicing it, but I didn't think I'd get it so quickly!" Tenten chirped excitedly, her eyes flickering from the gauntlets, to her spectating teammates.

"WHAT AN AMAZING SHOW OF YOUTH!" A boisterous voice exclaimed, falling from above.

No one knew how the hell Guy had managed to appear out of nowhere, with no one noticing, but they all internally accepted it as another Cool Jounin Thing. Naruto at least reprimanded herself mentally for not keeping her sensory ability fully active.

"GUY-SENSEI!" Lee exclaimed, stars in his eyes. He didn't even seem to notice the many scrapes, knicks, shuriken, senbon, and kunai on his body.

"Hello, Lee, Neji! Tenten, I must say, I am incredibly proud to see this new jutsu of yours! It makes me so happy to know I have such a hardworking team!" Guy declared, clenching his fist close to his heart. His voice was so loud, it echoed through the field as a single proud tear fell from his right eye.

Right, and here came all the Team 9 supremacy type stuff that always made Naruto feel weird, in the worst way.

Now that Guy had arrived, she decided she'd get going. Not out of any dislike for the man, she thought Guy was cool as hell, but she felt a bit like a fifth wheel.

She didn't need to take up their official training time, so she'd just head home for the evening.

"Welp, I better get going, it's been fun! See you guys later." Naruto said abruptly, walking away backwards as she waved goodbye. Maybe she'd look over her seals, or sharpen her weapons. Maybe she'd even read a book, or she could pick up an extra shift at T&I if she wanted.

As she turned her back to them, she decided she was totally getting Ichiraku ramen, instead of any of those other things.

She could hear them talking, albeit in hushed voices, behind her. Mentally, she wrote it off to some private Team 9 business. Ramen took precedent, so she didn't even bother trying to listen in.

"Young Naruto, wait!" Guy called, making her stop her escape immediately.

"Yeees?" She asked, turning to face him once again. She saw Tenten was running up to her, but clearly that was unrelated to whatever Guy had to say.

"My team and I would be delighted if you would join us for a full day of training this Saturday, what do you say?" He asked, giving her a wide grin and a wink.

She thought it over for a minute, before shrugging. She had nothing to lose, after all. "Sure, I'll see you then!"

Tenten, who was standing at her side by now, turned away from her team.

Naruto did the same, her brunette friend wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"So, Naruto, I got you somethin!" Tenten said, pulling a black rectangular box out of her weapons pouch.

Naruto stared at it blankly, not recognizing the packaging from anywhere.

Tenten scoffed at Naruto's expression, passing the box to her friend.

Naruto gave her a glance, before gingerly opening the box. The interior was padded with crushed red velvet, and in the center was a lovely accessory.

Slim, rectangular sunglasses with nearly opaque black lenses.

"Woah, Tenten, these look expensive!" Naruto remarked, removing the glasses from their case.

"They'll complete your badass look! Though, I think they're pretty functional, too! They'll hide your eyes, so no one will now if you're using your sensory ability! And they also protect you from the sun, and explosive tags, and whatnot." The brunette explained excitedly, before looking a bit guilty.

"I know it's not as cool as that scroll you got me, nowhere near that. But I thought you might like them anyway.." She finished, voice full of uncertainty. She nervously picked at the hem of her shirt, hoping that Naruto would be at least a little happy with her gift.

"Bunny, these are hella cool! I'll never take 'em off, 'ttebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, putting the glasses on.

They sat low on her nose, but could easily be adjusted upwards.

Tenten smiled, her eyes looking truly relieved.

"Great! Oh, and Ino and I are going to swing by your house this Thursday, so cancel your training with Anko!" Tenten said, turning away to regroup with her team.

"Yeah, okay!"

* * *

**_Naruto's Apartment_ **

* * *

The next day, Naruto woke up to very loud pounding on her apartment door. Groggily, she threw her blanket away and stood up.

She looked down at the orange and green frog-patterned shorts she'd worn to bed, which clashed horrendously with the black tank-top she had on. She shrugged. Presentable enough, she supposed.

Shuffling to the door, she yanked it open to see two familiar faces.

Tenten and Ino both were incredibly dressed up, for reasons Naruto didn't know. She squinted at them, taking note of their outfits.

Ino was wearing an amethyst crop top with matching wide-legged purple pants, that cut off halfway down her calf. The pants had orchids on the bottom, looking as if they were growing up Ino's leg. Under her cropped shirt, she was wearing fishnet armor, which improved the overall practicality, she supposed.

She noticed that the girl was even wearing heels, though they were the expensive kind of platform heels which were easy for shinobi to run in.

Naruto briefly wondered if Ino's obsession with purple was like her obsession with orange.

Ino's arms were folded over her chest, with a blonde braid over her shoulder and touching her arms."C'mon loser, we're going shopping."

"Ino-chan!" Tenten whispered harshly, "It's a movie quote." The blonde defended, both of them smiling.

The other blonde, who looked positively a mess, studied the brunette next. Her hair was in braided buns, rather than the usual ones.

She wore a long-sleeve pinkish red cheongsam style top, with burgundy hemming and details. It had wine colored and dark green vines camellias embroidered in the silk, making a beautiful blouse.

She had hakama pants, similar to her usual ones. Except, these had the same embroidered camellias as her top, and were tied down at the ends with matching red bandages.

The color of the pants was slightly more muted than that of the hem of her shirt, making it all match excellently.

She had ruby earrings in each ear, dangling. It was the most dressed up she'd ever seen the brunette.

"Why're you all dressed up for a simple shopping trip?" Naruto asked, regretting it the moment it came out of her mouth. Mostly because the words were ridiculously slurred. She was tired, not drunk, damn it!

Ino clicked her tongue. "We work our asses off, we deserve to look pretty and have a day off!" Ino defended, looking at her perfectly manicured nails. Tenten nodded emphatically, and Naruto almost regretted introducing the pair.

When she had, she was worried they might not get along. Ino was younger, and leagues more feminine than either of them. Tenten and Naruto had bonded over being tomboyish, training-lovers. She was worried they'd have little in common, but the two hit it off great.

Though it seemed that they did have something in common. Tenten enjoyed dressing up as much as Ino, apparently.

She'd done as Tenten had asked the day prior, and told Anko she'd be taking the day off. It worked out well, because apparently the purple haired jounin was taking her Elite Jounin exam today.

That being said, she hadn't exactly expected to be woken up hours before noon to go shopping, But she knew better than to just throw away the opportunity.

"Fine, fine. I'll go get dressed, you guys wait in here." She said, shuffling away from the door.

"Oh no you don't! We're picking your outfit, matter of fact, we brought some items for you!"

That was exactly when Naruto took notice of the white bag Ino had on her arm.

She couldn't fight back a grimace.

"Don't make that face! You'll totally love it!" Ino said, taking a seat on Naruto's followed after, seating herself on the very same orange couch. Naruto shut her front door, internally noting that she'd never officially invited them in. Damn harpies, coming over at this hour..

Ino opened her bag, pulling out a shirt without sleeves or any collar, the same as Ino's. Well, except that it was black. And Ino's was cropped. That blonde really did love her midriff tops, almost as much as Naruto loved showing her biceps.

She worked hard for those muscles!

"Okay, go get dressed, make sure it's casual, but pretty! And I'll do your makeup!" Ino chirped, and Tenten decided to add on, "She did mine!"

Naruto hadn't even _noticed_ Tenten was wearing makeup, probably because it was so _perfect_ and natural.

She groaned, despite knowing that Ino would hear no ifs or buts.

"Go on, get a move on, Naru!" Tenten said, making a shooing motion with her hands.

Said girl sluggishly dragged her feet into another room to get dressed.

She of course decided to wear the top Ino handed her, actually finding that she liked it a lot. When it came to choosing a bottom, she went with her typical orange shorts.

Though, despite how oddly uncomfortable she felt without them… She left her tactical leg garters in the drawer, meaning she'd have no pouches or scrolls.

Naruto examined her appearance in the mirror. Even despite that she put on a confident face- Despite that others _said_ she was pretty..

Naruto really didn't see it.

Neji fit the beauty standard for women more than she did, actually, which made her grin something evil.

Dark, smooth hair, thin and lithe bodies, and sharp eyes were considered most desirable in Konoha. Blame that on all those Uchiha and Hyuuga who set the standard, years upon years ago.

Though, she had long ago decided that beauty standards were bullshit. They changed from person to person, country to country, yadda yadda. People were beautiful no matter hair-color or type, hair, face, or body. Naruto thought beauty was defined in other ways.

Like kindness, or lovely behavior in general, or in the way your eyes sparkled, those were true beauty. She furrowed her brows, amending her thoughts by adding, beauty can be a physical thing, but there shouldn't be a _standard_ for it.

And the longer she thought about it, the more Naruto decided she didn't want to think about it at all. She shook her head with an irritated huff.

Naruto took time to wrap her knuckles and forearms with bandages. If something went down, she'd at least have protected hands to pummel someone with.

"I don't need weapons when I've got these guns!" She said, flexing in the mirror, in that silly pose. It was enough to make her giggle, cheering herself up.

"Stop talking to yourself and get dressed!" A voice shouted, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

Damn, they'd heard that?!

She cleared her throat, fighting back the blush on her cheeks.

She put on a thick pair of fishnet-armor knee highs, and a pair of worn-out orange and black sneakers. She'd purchased them with her first ever D-rank check, and they certainly came in handy. They didn't provide ankle support like shinobi sandals, and they weren't light-weight enough to be suitable for any shinobi jobs.

Still super comfy, though!

Lastly, she picked up her sunglasses from her nightstand. She kept them in their fancy little box whenever she wasn't wearing them, ensuring they'd be safe. She walked out of her bedroom, right back into the living room, giving her girls a theatrical twirl.

Tenten clapped her hands, "Oo, so pretty!" She said with a genuine smile.

"Now come here, we've got to put that hair of yours up. Actually, Tenten can do that. I'll be doing your makeup!" Ino declared, clasping her hands together. Naruto rolled her eyes, but walked over to Tenten, grabbing her brush out of the wall on her way over.

(Yes, she'd thrown the brush and it got stuck there again. What can ya do?!)

She sat cross-legged on the wood floors in front of Tenten, who happily accepted the brush.

"I've always wanted to play with your hair!" The doe-eyed brunette cheered, a certain twinkle in those eyes.

Naruto nearly did a double take, "Really?!" She questioned incredulously.

Back in the academy, the other kids had always pointed out how her hair was so spiky- claiming she didn't brush it. She did, but her hair was just naturally… Untamable, she supposed.

"Of course! It's so _fluffy!"_

Fluffy. Huh. Well, when you put it like that, she could understand. Her hair was definitely on the thick side.

"Why didn't you just ask?" Naruto inquired, as Ino sat in front of her. "That's rude! Most people are uncomfortable with random people touching their hair." Tenten declared, gently brushing through Naruto's thick hair.

"Yeah? Well, you're not a random person, so."

She thought Ino might've rolled her eyes, but her own eyes were closed while Ino gently applied eyeshadow.

"Obviouuusssly." Tenten replied intelligently, drawing out the word. Things were silent for the next few minutes, comfortably so. Ino was applying her makeup, and Tenten was making excuses to just keep restyling her hair over and over.

"Stay still, Naruto, I'm gonna apply your eyeliner and mascara." The flaxen-blonde told the Uzumaki girl, with an expression that almost _dared_ her to do otherwise. Her face alone clearly hinted at painful consequences if she did.

Naruto nodded, before closing her eyelids. Even Tenten stopped playing with the pigtails she'd finished putting Naruto's hair in. The air was tense as Ino slowly took the eyeliner pen, drawing a deliberate stroke along the ends of Naruto's eye.

Even though she was aiming for something more cat-like, the result ended being something much more vulpine. Carefully, with her meticulous hand, she repeated the perfect liner on the girl's other eye.

"There, all done!" The Yamanaka said, passing a mirror-compact to Naruto.

Naruto opened it slowly, staring herself in the eye, "Woah!" She blinked, examining her own face incredulously.

"Oh, wait, I got this for you!" Ino reached into her bag, pulling out a tube of shimmering lip gloss. Across the container, in fancy italic lettering, the package read, " _Poppin'_ _Peach_."

Naruto eyed the lip gloss with curiosity as Ino opened the packaging, withdrawing a lip-gloss coated applicator, "I saw this in a boutique, and the orange color made me think of you!" Ino said, applying it to Naruto's bottom lip.

She popped her lips as an example, and Naruto repeated her.

"Great, all done! Get your shoes on, and let's go!"

* * *

Today, Naruto was learning just how fun shopping could be, alongside her two best friends.

They'd taken themselves to the higher end shopping district, where all the indoor stores blared songs from the radio.

Where the streets were paved with cobblestone and there were multicolor lanterns to light up the district when the evening came.

Where vendors handed out free samples of delicious food, where artists painted faces for a small fee.

Where people performed on streetsides, juggling, singing, or doing magic tricks, or anything of the sort. The entire scene looked more like a festival than a shopping district, despite the fact there were dozens of interconnected stores.

Currently, the trio of troublemaking girls were in one of these many stores.

Ino and Tenten were the most entertaining pair she'd met yet, that was certain, especially when up to no good. Ino giggled, scrawling on the face of the plaster mannequin with the sharpie Naruto had handed her.

"Okay, okay, let's go before someone catches us!" Tenten said, taking both Naruto and Ino's hand and running off. She made a beeline towards the doors, looking to take the halls that connected every store and find another shop to commit mischief in.

They ran into the halls, laughing the entire time.

Tenten looked around, surveying the area. People sat on benches inside, with ANBU stationed sporadically to prevent any major crimes from happening. There were several booths selling things in the halls, be it food or accessories, or any other number of things.

A large fountain was dead in the center, full of ryo that children had used to make wishes.

"Oo, boba tea!" Ino exclaimed, pointing at a booth and instantly taking off towards it.

"Boba?" Naruto asked, and Tenten just dragged her along to follow Ino.

"I'd like a large Taro milk tea, with popping boba, please!" Ino requested, just as her two friends caught up to her.

"I'd like a large passion-fruit boba tea, and Naruto here will have a large mango." Tenten ordered, pulling out the ryo to pay for her friends drinks.

"Bunny-chan, you don't have to buy-"

"Nope, don't wanna hear it!" Tenten declared, paying for the three drinks, each of which matched their outfits.

Each girl took their respective teas, stabbing their straws through the lids and taking simultaneous sips.

"Mm!" Naruto hummed, clearly delighted by her drink.

Her friends only smiled, "C'mon!" Tenten said, taking the lead and walking them towards another nearby shop. They maneuvered through the crowds of bustling shoppers with ease, walking into a girly boutique. The wallpaper was magenta, striped with a pastel shade of bubblegum pink.

Naruto surveyed the place, feeling a bit lost, though she shrugged the feeling away. Right before the girl's split apart, Naruto glanced at Tenten, who looked over-eager.. Whereas, when she looked to Ino, she could only see a very odd expression as she stared at all the pink in the room.

Remembering the promise she'd made to Anko, that she wouldn't tap into a friend's emotions without first asking, Naruto shook off the urge.

The girls separated, with Ino heading towards the clothing, Tenten headed for accessories, and Naruto to look at all the novelty items. They buzzed around the store, like bees to flowers, surveying everything the boutique had to offer.

"Guys, check it out!" Tenten called, causing her blonde friends to turn the corner and look at her.

A feathery burgundy boa scarf, with large pink rhinestone encrusted sunglasses. She snapped her fingers, proceeding to wink and make finger-guns at her two friends. Naruto snorted, a grin stretching across her face. Ino, on the other hand, had stars in her eyes.

"Are you gonna buy those glasses?" Ino asked, moving closer to inspect the expensive pink shades.

Tenten chuckled, "No way, not my style at all."

Ino smiled, pulling the glasses off her friend. "Great, because they're totally _my_ style!" She immediately turned away to find the cashier and make her purchase.

Tenten rolled her eyes, yet seemed completely unbothered by their diva friend.

"We should get matching fluffy scarf things." Naruto suggested, grabbing a lilac boa for Ino, and an orange one for herself.

"They're called boa scarfs!" Ino chirped from across the store, somehow overhearing their conversation.

"Feh!" Naruto made a dramatic sour expression, waving her hand, and Tenten only tittered.

The girls made their purchases, the three of them walking out with silly feather scarfs and Ino with her luxurious sunglasses. Tenten had even gotten herself a pair of cherry-red heart shaped-glasses, just so she wouldn't be the only friend without a pair of glasses on.

"Where to next, ladies?" Ino asked, looking around the shopping area.

"In there! I'd just like to look around!" Tenten said, pointing to what looked like a kitchen supply store.

It was no surprise, considering both Naruto and Ino had known for a while that Tenten loved to cook.

They'd had her steamed dumplings more times than they could count on both hands.

As they entered, Ino silently split away from their group to get Tenten a recipe book. She'd be doing all of them a favor, no matter how much they loved Tenten's dumplings… Variety was a necessity.

As Tenten perused the aisles, Naruto too decided to wander off on her own.

Right into an aisle _full_ of oven timers.

A dastardly idea sprouted to life within her.

She looked left, and then right, assuring there was no one around.

Her mischievous spirit simply couldn't allow her to just walk away from this.

This was too perfect, too great! How could anyone expect her to just leave behind such an excellent opportunity.

And so, as quick as she could, Naruto grabbed a display timer.

A typical looking oven timer, twisting the knob to the twenty-two minute mark.

The tell-tale ticking of the timer began, and Naruto moved down the line, setting the timers to go off all around the same time.

By the time she was finished, she'd burned through five minutes and it was time to go find her friends.

The store suddenly seemed a lot bigger, as she weaved through aisles in search of Ino and Tenten. She of course didn't use her sensory ability to find them, as that would've made it too easy. Too easy, meant less fun, after all.

Oddly enough, Ino was the first one found. It was the sound of the Yamanaka popping her bubblegum which had led Naruto to her.

Where, she was leaning against a wall with a bag from this very store, looking rather bored.

"Hey!" Naruto greeted, running right up to her fellow blonde. Internally, she made note that it had likely been about ten minutes since she'd set off the timers.

"We should find Tenten and go. I'm feeling absolutely _starved,_ yanno?" Naruto tried to play it cool, but Ino easily picked up on the fact she was nervous about _something_.

"Naru, what did you do?" Ino asked slowly, a grin slowly forming on her face.

The blue-eyed jinchuriki tried to be nonchalant, she really did. Alas, there was no fooling a Yamanaka.

"I may or may not have set about.. Twenty kitchen timers to go off in, maybe ten minutes from now?"

Ino stared at her, and Naruto stared back, sweating pinballs.

The Yamanaka laughed incredulously, relieving any of Naruto's fear that Ino might disapprove. "We gotta find Tenten!" Said Ino, taking Naruto's hand to lead her around the store. Naruto didn't say a word as they took off to search the store for their bun-headed friend. Her mind was already running wild.

She'd only been hanging out with Ino a little longer than a month, but she felt like she'd been friends with her forever. They'd begun training together, hanging out together, having sleepovers.

And yet, Ino had wormed her way right into Naruto's chest. They were alike, both of them were rebellious girls with plenty of energy.

But they were different, too.

Where Ino was more bossy, Naruto was laid-back. Where Ino was a fashionista, Naruto was a _reformed_ tomboy.

Just like Tenten, Ino had wormed her way right into Naruto's heart. And even though Naruto didn't know it, Ino considered her just as great as a friend.

"There she is!" Ino proclaimed, skirting to a halt behind the brunette. Who, just so happened to be standing right in front of the cashier. Who was a middle aged, portly Akimichi, judging by the symbols on his cheeks.

Tenten turned, smiling at the sight of her friends. "Oh, hey guys! I'm just paying, then we can leave." She said, fishing her wallet out of her purse.

Both Ino and Naruto stood behind their bunheaded friend the entire time, trying to rush her with their eyes alone.

Just as the brunette passed the money to the cashier, Ino took one of Tenten's arms and Naruto took the other, dragging out the weapon's mistress.

Just as they made it out the door, Tenten put her feet down, forcing both girls to a stop.

"Geez, what's up with you two?" She asked, her nose wrinkling in confusion.

Just as the two blondes opened their mouths to explain, a discordant array of overlapping timers broke out. Despite being just outside the store, the cacophony of beeping, ringing, and peals rang in their ears, and Naruto laughed mischievously.

"Damn it! That's the fifth time this week!" The Akimichi cashier griped, leaving behind his register to turn off the oven-timers.

Tenten shook her head, sighing in displeasure. "Idiots, the both of you." Ino gave a bright smile, showcasing a dimple that was rarely seen.

Loudly, a rumbling noise came from Naruto's stomach, who was dramatically draping an arm over her head. "Yes, yes, we're idiots! And one of those idiots is starving, Bunny!" Naruto whined, and Tenten shook her head yet again.

This time however, there was no brow furrowing or disbelieving eyes. Instead, all that could be seen was a fond expression shown through a gentle smile and relaxed posture.

"Alright then, let's find a place!" Tenten agreed, the trio of girls leaving the section of the shopping center they were in, entering the outdoor shopping area. At a lackadaisical pace, they walked right into the sector where all the restaurants and food vendors congregated.

Smells of various types of food wafted through the open air, chattering of happy customers and energetic vendors, they filled the senses of the girls. Naruto's eyes wandered, from booths selling cheap deep fried snacks, to actual restaurants.

"Over there! It looks fancy, we should try it." Ino said, taking the lead amongst the girls. She led them slowly, right up to a restaurant which managed to look both plain and fancy as hell. It was built from brick-and-mortar, which was probably why it stood out so much in Konoha, where most buildings were made from wood.

Right by the door, a middle-aged man stood in front of a gray lectern, to check guests in and out. Naruto wasn't worried about things like price, considering she had plenty of money on her from all the missions she took. Not only that, but both of her friends had plenty on them as well.. Which was what made it so hard for Naruto to understand the pit growing on her stomach as they approached him.

The man's eyes seemed to scrutinize her and her friends before they even spoke, but looking at both of her friends, Naruto knew she was the only one who noticed.

"Hello, do you have any tables open?" Ino asked politely, turning on her sweetest voice.

The man narrowed his ochre eyes, accentuating the crow's feet on his face. His onyx hair was combed over and gelled down, clearly in an attempt to hide a growing bald spot.

"For you and the brunette, maybe. But there's no way I'm letting a _monster_ into my restaurant." He said, folding his arms over his chest.

Tenten's eyes widened in surprise, connecting the dots immediately. She took Naruto's hand in her own, squeezing it reassuringly. She looked to Naruto, then to him.

" _What?_ " Ino questioned, her body language becoming so rigid there was no hiding her displeasure.

"I'm talking about the demon that's wedged between you and your pretty little friend." He said, and both the pretty little friend and Ino herself froze.

"Seriously, aren't you the Yamanaka heiress? You shouldn't hang around such trash." He added, and Ino looked so angry she might light aflame.

"How _dare_ you talk about my friend like that! What did she ever do to you?!" Ino bared her teeth, clenching her fists at her side.

Tenten took a step back, putting an arm around her to comfort the pig-tailed girl.

The man scoffed, sticking his nose up at her as if she were a lesser being.

"I know what that thing is, and it's not welcomed in _my_ restaurant. It doesn't have to do anything, it's existence alone is wrong." He snarled, stepping towards the enraged Yamanaka.

" _Ex-fucking-cuse me?!_ Who the hell do you think you are? You're nothing but a washed up, greasy old geezer taking his insecurity out on _my_ friend! Naruto is not a monster, and not a fucking It! You know, it's no wonder you're not married, who would ever want a man as pathetic and mean spirited as you!" Ino spat, pointing to the lack of a ring on his finger.

Ino's chakra, which was always so vibrant, so lively, was usually only comparable to a sunflower, thriving in the brilliant rays cast by the summer sun.

But now, her chakra was so full of emotion, an intensity the likes of which Naruto had never felt from her. It was almost startling, if it weren't for the fact that Naruto found it to be so touching.

Her chakra was suddenly like a caged beast, like a leopard trapped between steel bars, knowing it's limits but so desperately wishing to claw apart it's captor. It was rebellious, it was angry, and it was all born from a desire to defend Naruto.

"Listen here young lady-"

Ino let out an incredulous bark of laughter, which almost sounded evil.

"No, no! You listen here, you heartless old bastard! How can you say something like that about someone, especially someone you don't even know?" She scoffed in disbelief, "You know, you're actually living, breathing proof that a human can survive without a heart, and a brain!" She was shouting at this point, and Naruto was getting antsy with all the nearby people staring. Civilians loved scenes like this, they loved the drama, the gossip that came with Shinobi and Civilian spats.

Not only that, but witnessing the Yamanka heiress cast aside all manners, all formalities, and all kindness for the sake of the village pariah.. That had to be an eye-catcher.

Clan children were supposed to stay away from trash like her, they were supposed to be prim and proper and perfectly behaved. And yet, here was Ino Yamanaka, clearly throwing aside her image for a friend's honor.

The old man walked out from behind his lectern, pushing the Yamanaka backwards roughly.

"We should go.." Naruto suggested quietly, just before Ino was shoved.

A brave move, considering he was a civilian, and she was obviously a kunoichi, given the headband tied around her waist.

Naruto could feel his chakra, as meager and pathetic as it was, raging like a rabid dog. And next to her, Tenten's own, perfectly behaved chakra pulsed, wavered, and thrashed, all the result of an a growing anger.

Tenten was always the level-headed one, and yet, she too was growing beyond her limits. The offending man's face was bright red, as a vein pulsed in his forehead and rigid cords showed in his neck. As far as anyone could tell, the man looked positively murderous.

To a civilian, he might've looked frightening, or at the least disconcerting. But considering he was engaging this way with three very obvious shinobi, no one was surprised that the girls hardly flinched.

Especially considering that he wasn't even an important civilian, like Tenten's father. This man was wearing a clearly fake golden chain around his neck, and a white cotton tee shirt with a slight sweat stain forming now.

He was entirely nonthreatening, despite being both a massive asshole and resembling a rabies-infected coyote.

"You're just as much of a no-good demon whore as your little friends! Yamanaka or not, you're not welcome anywhere near my restaurant, you hear! If I catch you close to my restaurant, I'll have my bouncers beat a lesson into you! Go, get the hell out of here, now!" He screamed, spittle flying from his lips.

Tenten went to speak, but Ino was already back on his case, not missing a single beat.

"A whore, huh? You know you just put your hands on a teenage girl, and threatened her? Both of which are illegal and immoral, but let's not forget! Under Number 17 of the Konoha Legal Code, It's strictly prohibited for a civilian to refuse service to any Shinobi or Kunoichi without due reason! Due reason is as follows," She continued after a sharp intake of breath.

"Past harm to business, physically, or harm to any innocent civilians working there, or purchasing services. That's it, and since we've done none of those things, you've committed three crimes! One of which, you committed thrice over, by denying service to three kunoichi! I'm sure the Civilian Business Council will be happy to shut you down after such blatant violations!"

"C'mon, Ino, lets go." Naruto interrupted, taking hold of her blonde friend's arm.

Ino's head whipped around, but her eyes immediately softened. Her chakra almost felt confused, but it stopped fighting, just long enough to take in the complicated expression on Naruto's face.

"Naruto, you can't just let him get away with saying that stuff about you!" Ino said, her voice raised, yet somehow managing to be gentle at the same time.

Naruto looked at the man, who looked like a rabid chihuahua ready to bite, and then to Ino. Tenten squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, and the pig-tailed jinchuuriki exhaled softly. "This has happened plenty before, I'm used to it. You've defended my honor enough for one day, let's just go find another place to eat."  
Ino grimaced, her eyebrows kneading together, but reluctantly agreed. There was no arguing, not when those cerulean eyes seemed to plead so hard. And even if Naruto hadn't seemed so desperate to leave, Ino was running out of things to say.

Naruto took her hand, just as Tenten had taken hers earlier. The blondes walked a few steps, noticing Tenten was hatefully staring down the old restaurant owner.

The girls looked back at Tenten, just as she threw up both of her middle-fingers, "Eat shit and die!" The brunette screamed, before stamping off to rejoin her girls.

Both of which, utterly frozen by Tenten's vulgar language. "What?" She huffed, folding her arms. They knew the moment was emotional beyond the point of just being heated, but… Tenten? Saying _that_? It was so far out of expectation, they'd have sooner imagined her decking the guy.. (Well, that wasn't true, Tenten wasn't a huge fan of unnecessary physical violence.)

"Uh, nothin'.. C'mon, I know a nice ramen stand! The owner's are great, we can have lunch there." Naruto said hesitantly, deciding to forget Tenten's choice of phrase.

Ino swallowed, nodding as they followed the pig-tailed blonde. There was still a burn in her chest, which was telling her to run back and start yelling at that man again. Unsurprisingly, Tenten felt the same, making that clear as they walked towards the ramen shop Naruto mentioned.

"When that guy touched you, I was so close to getting out my stabbin' knife. Only thing stopping me was a trip to T&I." She said sourly, her arms still folded. Ah, so maybe Tenten didn't hate physical violence as much as they thought. Or maybe she just deemed violence against assholes as acceptable? That was a question for another time, because there was a much more important question looming overhead.

Both blondes exchanged a glance, then stared at the brunette. "Your what?" Ino asked slowly, incredulously.

"My stabbin' knife." Tenten repeated, completely nonchalantly.

The blondes exchanged yet another glance, still walking along, much more slowly now that they'd left that discriminatory bastard and his restaurant behind. "You don't even have your weapons pouch on you.." Naruto stated, quite obviously.

"Yeah, and?" Tenten waved for her to continue. Another set of exchanged glances, just as they were approaching Ichiraku Ramen Shop.

"Then.. Where are you keeping the knife?" Ino inquired, looking a bit suspicious. She knew damn well Tenten's outfit had no pockets, and unless she'd managed to fit a knife in her itty-bitty wallet...

"Oh! That's easy, why didn't you just ask that?" Tenten chirped, and the blondes gave each other another, incredibly deadpan, glance. That was like the hundredth, at this point.

Tenten reached into the collar of her cheongsam top, her hand digging around for a minute or so, before finally finding what she was looking for.

With a single fluid motion, Tenten pulled out a kitchen knife, which was wrapped in gauze.

Both blondes stopped abruptly, not only out of surprise, but also because they'd reached their destination.

"Ta-da~! The stabbin' knife!" Tenten presented, holding out the plain kitchen knife pridefully. There was silence, a silence which was so incredibly loud that no one even seemed to notice.

What the hell could they even say to that? Ask why? Ino wasn't sure if she even wanted to know, though Naruto was definitely curious as to why she'd decided to hide in that particular area.. Almost telepathically, it was like Naruto and Ino decided not to ask. One question would just lead to another, it would be a whole can of worms, and there was no way they were going to explain to a _weapon's mistress_ how weird her weapon was.

Surely, there was some reason for the peculiarity they'd been presented with, but frankly… Neither blonde wanted to know.

"There are no words for this. None." Ino shook her head, walking past the curtain into the ramen stand. "Yeah.. Sorry, Bunny, I gotta agree with Ino on this one." Naruto said, following behind the Yamanaka heiress.

The brunette huffed, rolling her eyes as she tucked the knife back inside her shirt. "Fine then, be that way." She said, slowly following behind them.

Naruto chatted happily with the woman behind the counter, while Ino and Tenten made their orders.

"I've been training hard, so one bowl of Shio ramen won't interfere with my diet!" Ino decided, getting odd looks from her two partners.

Tenten's eyebrows drew together in confusion, "But, Shio ramen is only like, 600 calories? That's practically nothing for a shinobi." Naruto nodded, knowing full well that she could put down like 10 bowls of Shio ramen.

Shio ramen was salt-based, made with chicken stock, containing kombu and potentially other toppings as well.

It was easily one of the lowest calorie ramen.

Ino blinked, and the bun-headed girl continued. "An active shinobi who trains often should consume from 3000-5000 calories a day." She said, nodding to herself.

"But! I have to watch my figure, you know!" Ino retorted, ignoring the frowning Naruto sitting on her other side.

Tenten however, was fairly knowledgeable about health, due to her time spent training under Guy.

She knew calories, exercise, dieting, etc, all the way into her bones.

This was one topic she wouldn't let her friends be uneducated on. Mostly out of care for their wellbeing, but also because she wanted to instill her wisdom.

"Well, that's what specific exercises are for.. There are plenty of training manuals out there, which can help you with your figure, all while you can eat a healthy amount. We all work-out daily, we train hard weekly, and we all do other things on top of that. It's important we eat enough to fuel our bodies!" Tenten explained, wagging her finger at Ino.

Despite having been a victim of Tenten's lectures before, Naruto felt no sympathy. They cared for Ino, therefore, it was time she dropped those stupid fad diets.

"Tenten's right! Besides, you're beautiful already, and you'd be just as pretty if you gained some weight. Hell, you could become a buff body-builder, and you'd still be one of the prettiest girls in all of Konohagakure!" Naruto declared cheerfully, giving Ino a forceful side-hug.

"You know, I think us three _are_ the prettiest _girls_ in Konoha." Naruto added, tapping her chin. Momentarily, her mind strayed back to Neji, who would probably beat all three of them if he were a girl. At least by Konoha's standards. She decided not to voice that.

Ino, who was looking a little flushed, laughed in surprise. She realized there, being dragged into Naruto, with Tenten laughing at them, that she finally belonged.

There was no being in constant, exhausting competition. There was no standing out like a sore thumb, like she did with her team.

There was no need to water herself down, there was no need to diet or obsess over her appearance.

Because just as she accepted them, they accepted her, too.

"You better stop laughing, Bunny, before I drag you in too." Naruto threatened, and Tenten abruptly stopped laughing.

"Here are your ramens, one miso, one shio, and one pork!" The tan-skinned man behind the counter said, placing each gigantic ceramic bowl one after the other.

Tenten cracked her chopsticks apart, but just before Naruto could devour her ramen in one bite, Tenten shot her a glare.

"Manners." She stated, dangerous and succinct.

Ino nearly choked on her own laughter, while the Ichiraku owners did too.

"Right…." Naruto agreed, sweat-dropping. She started her ramen slowly, while Tenten slowly turned to her own food.

Ino, who'd just taken her first bite, chirped in approval.

"Good, right? Nothing can ever top Ichiraku's!" Naruto said, grinning brightly.

"You're damn right!" The man behind the counter agreed, with a hearty laugh.

"Way better than whatever that bastard in the shopping district could ever make." Tenten said sourly, taking a bite of her noodles.

Naruto inhaled softly, taking in the scent of spices and various flavored broths and meats.

"Yeah! What the hell was his problem, anyway!" Demanded the Yamanaka heiress, not really expecting an answer.

"I guess it's time I tell you then, huh?" Naruto said, staring down at her steaming noodles, stirring them around with her chopsticks.

Both other girls turned to her suddenly, whilst Tenten winced slightly.

She knew where this was going, and frankly, she wasn't certain how this would go. She believed Ino would accept her, but what if she needed time to come to that conclusion? Could Naruto handle that?

She bit the inside of her lip, squashing down her thoughts, instead deciding to focus on Naruto's words.

Ayame, the daughter of Teuchi, grabbed her father and whisked him into another room, to give the girls a semblance of privacy. She and her father had known Naruto for years, so they knew where this was going. Though, she was careful to leave the door cracked just enough for her and her father to be able to eavesdrop.

"Naruto, what-"

"I understand if you don't wanna talk to me anymore after this, but.. I can't keep it a secret, and Tenten already knows.. So it's only a matter of time." Naruto said, tracing fingers against the wooden countertops.

"Is it that you like girls? Because I already know that, it doesn't bother me at all, if it bothers anyone else they can ea-" Ino was interrupted by Tenten's face-palming, and Naruto's sputtering.

"N-no, 'ttebayo! That's not it!" She shook her head, taking a minute to collect herself. The blonde Yamanaka only blinked in surprise, and Tenten forced herself not to snort.

"It's serious, Ino. I'm glad you support that part of me, too, but.. Ugh, let me just say it. I'm a jinchuriki." She exhaled, putting her hands up placatingly, hushing Ino before she could ask any questions.

"A jinchuriki, means human sacrifice. Well, the power of human sacrifice." Ino's eyes widened, but Naruto could feel the confusion rolling off of her.

"A jinchuriki is a person, sacrificed to contain a bijuu. Basically, what i'm saying is.. There's a demon sealed inside me."

And suddenly, a lot of things made sense to Ino. In textbooks, it said that the fourth Hokage defeated the Kyuubi, not that he killed it. The Kyuubi, who attacked fourteen years ago, on the very same day Naruto was born.

It explained why everyone treated her badly, it explained why the man refused them service and why bullies always picked on Naruto.

Ino came back to reality when she saw tears starting to glaze over Naruto's eyes.

She didn't even notice that her jaw had fallen, and she didn't even notice that Tenten had gotten up to stand behind Naruto.

Tenten's hand was clamped on her shoulder reassuringly, making eye contact with Ino.

"Naruto," Ino said, straightening herself up, clearing the shock away from her face.

Cerulean eyes met baby blue, and Ino smiled.

"I'd never hate you, or ditch you for that. You guys are my best friends, I'm not going to ditch you over something that wasn't even your fault. Have a little more faith in me!" She said, brightening the mood substantially.

"Really!?" Naruto asked, wiping her eyes harshly.

"Duh!" She said, flipping her hair. Tenten sighed in relief, wrapping an arm around the necks of her favorite blondes.

"You two!" She grumbled fondly, tussling both of their hair like a big sister, before moving back to her seat.  
It didn't take much longer after that heartfelt moment, for the girls to have finished their lunch, and decide to go their separate ways. Both of the Ichiraku owners stepped back behind the counter, looking vaguely pleased for some odd reason.

"Well, it's about time I head home. I need a shower and a nap." Naruto said, sliding money on the counter to pay for their lunch.

"Already?" Ino whined, "Do you want us to walk you home?" Tenten inquired, finishing the last few bites of her ramen. "Nah, I'm alright. It's been fun, guys." She said, "Later, everyone!" she waved on her way out.

"Wait, Naruto you didn't have to pay for my-" Tenten stopped abruptly, noticing that Naruto had apparently disappeared into thin air.

She sighed, "Brat. I'll get her for that!" Ducking back under the curtain, she turned her attention to Ino.

"You look pensive." She stated, noticing how Ino's finely plucked brows were pulled together, a ghost of a frown on her lips.

She sighed, "More like angry and calculating." Tenten blinked, her brows raising. "Over what?"

"I've decided i'm not going to let that asshole from the shopping district get away with what he did." Momentarily, Tenten was surprised. Ino didn't seem like the vengeful type, but Tenten wasn't going to complain.

Because she too, did not want to let that asshole get away with treating them, Naruto especially, that way.

Her lips settled into a hard line, her face becoming severe. "Whatever you're planning, I want in." She said sternly, folding her arms.

Ino stood up from the counter, "Your ramen was great, thanks for serving us! We'll be going now!" The Yamanaka said, suddenly turning cheerful as she took Tenten's hand and left.

Just as they walked out, Teuchi Ichiraku whistled. "Little Naruto is finally growin' up, and she's got some good friends grown' up with her." He said warmly.

"You're right, dad. She's come a long way from when I dragged her in here the first time." His daughter said with a laugh.

"You know, I think I like her new friends for another reason, too! Extra revenue!" He said, chuckling loudly.

"Dad!" Ayame reprimanded, hitting him on the shoulder with a wooden spoon.

"So, run the plan by me again?" Tenten asked in a hushed voice.

"I'm going to file a report saying I was harassed verbally and physically by the restaurant owner. I'm going to include everything he said to me, and saying he refused service to my two friends. The point is, we are going to _artfully exclude_ that he refused Naruto service specifically. They'll take an heiress more seriously than a jinchuriki." Ino explained, her hands moving as she spoke, and Tenten waved for her to continue.

"And you are going to corroborate my story, also _artfully excluding_ Naruto's name. Our third kunoichi will remain unnamed, because she asked. Unless the Hokage himself asks, we won't tell."

Tenten bit her lip, "Right, and what's this going to do? Will it actually affect him?"

Ino smirked, something that didn't fit her features at all.

"The Civilian Council will have a meeting, and they'll discuss our report. Since it'll look terrible for every business in the district to let that fly, that guy will be shut down in only a few weeks." She said, putting her hand on her hip.

"And you're sure it'll work?" Tenten asked finally, meeting her eyes. There was a lingering sense of disbelief, one Ino soon dispelled.

"Of course. Not only will Shinobi stop shopping in that district, but civilians will too as a show of solidarity. The people of Konoha admire their ninja, especially their clan ninja, and they wouldn't want anyone to think otherwise." Ino said confidently, finally getting Tenten's full support.

The brunette nodded eagerly, "Great, then let's go file the reports."

"Hell yeah!" Ino said, raising her hand for a fist bump, in a very Naruto-like gesture.

Tenten met her fist, and the girls set off towards the Hokage's Tower to file their report.

* * *

"Excuse me, Sir." Ino said, tapping the bell on the man's desk, within the Incident Report office of the Hokage Tower.

The desk-nin, a nondescript young chuunin, looked up immediately.'"A-ah, Yamanaka-san, how can I be of assistance?"

Ino gave him a charming smile, "I need two report applications, please."

"Right away, can I ask what incident file you'll be needing?" He began shuffling through the many stacks of papers, Ino could spot various templates for various reports.

"Oh, whichever one is suited for civilians harassing and discriminating against shinobi." She stated simply, allowing her eyes to wander across his desk.

The desk-nin gave her a look of surprise, but said nothing as he found and passed her the incident report forms.

She took two pens from a cup on his desk, walking over to where Tenten was sitting on the office couch.

Neither of the two said a word as they filled in the information required, writing their reports in silence.

"Alright, I'm done." Tenten said, whilst Ino was writing the last few sentences of her report.

Tenten looked down, sourly noticing how impeccable Ino's handwriting was, especially in comparison to her much more plain handwriting. Who gave Ino the right to have such elegant penmanship?

"Aaaand, done." Ino said, ending the report with perfect punctuation.

The girls walked back to the desk, and the desk-nin behind it took their reports with no further words.

Once again the pair of girls found themselves weaving past lingering shinobi, on their way through the Hokage Tower.

They were mostly quiet on their way through, each of them stewing in their own thoughts.

Until they made it outside, out of the busy building, when Tenten spoke.

"So uh, should we tell Naruto?" She asked, her hands entwined behind her back as she walked.

Ino clicked her tongue, "Nope."

"She'll think we overreacted and it wasn't necessary. But you know if that happened to us, she'd be doing everything she could to ruin his _life."_ She muttered, as an afterthought.

Tenten laughed, "You're right. What she doesn't know won't hurt her." Looking up to the periwinkle colored sky, the weapon's mistress sighed.

Before long, they'd made it to Tenten's house.

"I'll see you soon, okay? Have a good evening!" Tenten said, giving her friend a tight hug before scurrying off into the house.

Ino giggled and waved her goodbye, barely seeing Tenten's grandmother open the door for her. The blonde Yamanaka could tell it would be hours before it was dark, but for some reason, the sky felt rather dim anyway. It must've been the slowly traveling gray clouds, which almost resembled plumes of smoke painted on a baby blue canvas, Ino decided.

The breeze blew through her, sending her blonde braid swaying for a mere moment, filling her chest with a certain warmness.

It was only Konohagakure that could make her feel so homely, with just a slight wind.

But despite that, there was a lingering sense of melancholy, resting deep in her bones. The events of today should've been nothing but fun, and yet, that old bastard had ruined it.

Would Naruto cry over it? Had she cried over moments like those, people like him, before?

Was she crying now? Ino had paid close attention to the body language of her blonde friend, and she hadn't noticed any tension or discomfort when she'd left.

She could see two reasons for this.

One, Naruto looked so unbothered, because she was. She would only be able to shake off an experience like that so easily, after experiencing it many times before.

Which raised the question, how many times had it happened? And how many times would it take, before it would stop hurting? Five? Ten? A dozen? She didn't know.

Or, two. Naruto was bothered, but she concealed it well enough that even a Yamanaka couldn't see through it. This was unlikely, because Ino knew Naruto hadn't started formal lessons on concealing her body-language. And also, it was a universal fact that it was damn hard to fool a Yamanaka in a craft they practically created. But on the assumption she did, did that mean Naruto was home crying right now? Or that, Ino could've provided comfort, and was too foolish to see it was needed? But that would also suggest that if Naruto had been hurt by it, maybe it hadn't happened so often?!

Ino clenched her fist tightly, hissing in aggravation. Her mind was an utter mess, and anyone with half a brain could probably see it.

She didn't know which of those two possibilities was preferable, but she did know that she likely wouldn't be able to come to a conclusion on that.

But she decided then, she needed to step up her training. She needed to be the best of the Yamanaka, so that way she'd be able to tell if her friends were hurting in the future, without a doubt in her mind. There was more than that, too, but honestly, that reason took prominence.

The heiress slowly exhaled, blowing the breath from her lungs and clearing the fog from her mind. She was going to go home, and she'd get up to scratch on all of the body language textbooks she had.

She also noted, maybe it was time for her to start working towards joining the family profession. The Intelligence Unit was the Yamanaka domain, and maybe, it was hers, too.

Rolling her shoulder, Ino felt the tension ease from her muscles, the tightness melting away as she forced herself into a state of calm.

After the time she'd spent meditating with Naruto, she'd picked up the ability to calm herself down with enough effort. Most of their training sessions spent to hone her sensory abilities were just glorified meditation, but Ino was happy for the skill it gave her.

Idly, Ino continued her walk home at an even slower pace.

She thought about her future as she watched children run through the streets, and she thought about her past as she saw a familiar head of bubblegum-pink hair amongst the people.

And, then, when her mind processed who that bubblegum hair belonged to, her jaw dropped. A face she hadn't seen in months was passing her by.

That state of calm she'd reached was ruptured in an instant.

Her arm outstretched towards the passing girl without even thinking, her legs moving to carry her through the crowd, towards a friend who's face she hadn't seen in so long.

For a moment, the word seemed to stop. Everything froze, the breeze stopped, the crowds of wandering folk seemed to silence, and the world stopped turning.

Ino wanted to shout out, to call for her, but those emerald eyes were locked onto another.

With that ridiculous love-struck expression, Sakura Haruno was in her own little Sasuke and Sakura-centric world.

And where did Ino fit into any of that? Where was she, when Ino had no one? Sakura was with Sasuke.

Sasuke, that stupid, handsome Uchiha, who'd ruined their friendship. He'd taken Sakura, and he didn't even mean to. She couldn't even hate him.

She stared, a feeling of bitter sickness in her throat nearly choking her up.

She saw those stupid white arm warmers Sasuke wore, the style she'd copied right from him. The style she thought would catch Sakura's attention.

But it hadn't. Nothing had, no faked arguments, no pestering, no rivalry, none of it captured Sakura like Sasuke did. Sakura didn't even see her anymore, literally and metaphorically.

As her arm fell limp at her side, she added another thing to her to-do list.

Re-read her body-language books.

Burn all of those stupid high-collared shirts, and all of those ridiculous arm-warmers.

Maybe she'd do them both at the same time.

Sakura giggled, at some snarky comment that Uchiha made, and the world seemed to resume. The silence was filled with the sounds of Konoha yet again, of chirping birds and polite conversation. The breeze continued to flow, shaking trees and knocking leaves to the ground.

And life went on.

Life went on, Ino realized. Life would always go on.

Her life had gone on. She didn't need to chase Sakura, to comfort her, to protect her. Sakura didn't even want her to.

But Ino had other friends now, Tenten and Naruto, and they wanted her. They needed her, and there was no Sasuke coming between them. Ino turned away, and though her feet felt like they were tied to cinder blocks, she forced herself to walk away. She had thought she was over Sakura, she was over whatever they'd had, but as she felt the claws Sakura had left in her heart finally ripping away….

She felt the weight slip away, the cinder blocks disintegrating. And even as she felt a pain tear through her chest, she kept going.

Because life would go on, and she would be forced to keep going.

The world was almost a blur, as the realization set in, and she arrived back at the Yamanaka compound.

Today was supposed to be fun, Ino sulked internally. But for her, it was apparently not meant to be.

She made her way through the compound, smiling and waving at every clan member she passed, hiding her turmoil. She made it all the way up to her bedroom, before she finally let it out.

She justified her loud scream of anger with the fact that no one was home to hear it. Roughly tugging away her blouse, she threw her outfit to the ground, changing into something suitable for the bonfire she'd be having.

Throwing on an old tank top and a pair of baggy shorts, she began wildly pulling out all of her old outfits from her closet.

The high-collared dresses, shirts, and arm-warmers were tossed into a pile, which she gathered up into her arms.

Thunderously marching down the stairs, Ino didn't have a single thought in her mind as she made her way to the backyard.

Thankfully, her backyard was fenced in, so no one would be seeing her meltdown.

Somewhere along the way, Ino had grabbed a bottle of fire-starter, which she doused what was essentially most of her wardrobe in the odorous fluid.

Her clothes, which she'd dropped into her family's fire-pit, had all been chosen with the desire to impress Sakura.

To catch her attention. To keep those beautiful emerald eyes on her, not on _Sasuke._ She felt sick as the memories came back. Specifically, the memory of Sakura admitting her crush on that Uchiha. The very day that Ino had lied, the day that Ino had said he was her crush, too.

All in some foolish effort of staying by Sakura's side, even if it was through rivalry. All for her attention.

But it hadn't worked, it would never work. It had been pathetic to attempt in the first place, Ino concluded.

As she emptied the flammable liquid onto all of her garments, feeling a tinge of distaste for ruining all that pretty purple fabric.

But she continued, without even a drop of regret in her system.

Ino was done, with foolish rivalries and desperate cries for Sakura's attention. She was moving on.

She was breaking up with Sakura, ending a romance which had never even existed in the first place.

Before she started the fire, Ino went back inside to grab a book.

" _The Thoughts of A Human, Reflected Throughout The Body: Volume IV."_ This series was a classic in the Yamanaka family, every child read it at least once. This would be Ino's third time traversing the pages of the textbook, but she couldn't find it in herself to care about that.

Sakura could've memorized the damn thing in one read, but she wasn't Sakura. Ino plopped down into the grass, not caring for how it could stain the shorts she wore.  
With her matchbook in one hand, Ino withdrew a singular red-tipped match.

She swiped it across the striker with a feeling of numbness, baby-blue eyes half-lidded as the match ignited.

Without a second thought, Ino flicked the match into the fire pit, and watched with grim satisfaction as the pile of clothing ignited into a ball of flames.

The heat from the blaze cast an orange light as it warmed her skin, and Ino opened her book to it's first page.

Her dad had always said that there was nothing in the world as relaxing as reading a good book next to a campfire. The Yamanaka heiress came to the conclusion he was right, even if she'd normally consider such a thing to be on the boring side.

Well, it certainly wasn't the first time her dad was right about something. She wasn't sure it was possible he could ever be wrong.

If he ever was, she'd ignore it. She liked to think her kids would one day look at her the same way, that they'd do the same for her.

* * *

_**The Yamanaka Household** _

* * *

"Hey, sweetheart. Open up." Inoichi said, knocking on the door loudly. Ino got up from her bed, where she'd been tossing and turning for hours.

She'd been trying to take a nap, after finishing her book, and writing her daily entry for her diary. She'd even done some physical training beforehand, to hopefully tire herself out physically.

And yet, she'd gotten not a wink of sleep.

It was nearing the evening now, she'd spent all of her morning with Tenten and Naruto.

She pulled open the door, and there was her father, standing as tall as ever.

He paid no heed to his daughter's sudden change of outfit, nor to the charcoal staining on the fingers of the bandages she'd wrapped up to her elbow. Not a word about her messy room, or the hair she'd pulled into a ragged bun.

"Shikamaru and Choji are downstairs, apparently, they're pretty worried for you. According to them, you've only been going to team training, not hanging out like you used to." Inoichi explained, and Ino's heart jumped in her chest.

It was true, she hadn't been hanging out with them. She'd been spending all her free time with Naruto and Tenten. They all did their training with their sensei's at the same time, so when they were done, they met up together most afternoons.

Aside from the days where Anko worked Naruto into the ground, or when Tenten had to run the shop.

Those days, Ino spent training by herself.

It was then that Ino realized she spent almost everyday with her friends.

Truly, she'd thought it was obvious to her teammates where she'd been, since she'd always been the only one on their team who always wanted to do social things or train.

She'd figured Shikamaru would've worked out that she was hanging out with Naruto and training. She'd mentioned it at least once. Ino certainly hadn't been hanging out with _Sakura_ all this time.

(Sakura would soon be referred to as She Who Shall Not Be Named, once Naruto and Tenten discovered their blonde friend's breakdown.)

But that wasn't what was making Ino nervous. She'd never told her dad that she'd stopped spending every evening with her team.

He'd seen her train in the backyard on the days where Naruto and Tenten were busy. He also knew she was rarely running the shop nowadays, since her mother began doing it for her.

So what exactly did her dad think she was up to?!

Judging by the look in his eye, he wasn't mad, merely curious. Her dad was nearly impossible to anger, at least when it came to her. He could be stern, but he would never lash out at her.

Ino never feared that, though, she did fear disappointing him. He had been her hero growing up, no one ever wanted to disappoint their hero.

Ino sighed in acceptance, knowing there'd be no point in lying. Her dad probably knew everything she did, before she'd even done it.

He was just great like that.

"That's true. I've been hanging out with Naruto Uzumaki and my other friend Tenten most days." She admitted, and Inoichi looked momentarily surprised, likely from her honesty.

"Right, well, they're worried. I know your girl-friends are probably a lot more fun, but you can't forget your teammates. They wanted to know why you cancelled your team-training today." Inoichi explained, being as fatherly as always. He didn't even miss a beat in his reply, there was no questioning or hesitance. Merely acceptance, and for that, Ino was grateful.

Not only because she was too emotionally-exhausted to deal with any of that… But.. She knew that her father knew what Naruto was…

She felt silly for even thinking for a moment that her dad would be so prejudiced. Inoichi Yamanaka was many things, and a judgemental bastard wasn't one of them.

As for her own teammates, and their pondering over what she'd been doing with her time..

Ino snorted, internally thinking of a dozen different answers for that. Well, maybe she'd skipped because team-training was hardly training at all. Or maybe because she'd gotten tired of their laziness and griping, or Choji's constant, obnoxious, chewing.

Okay, maybe she wasn't exactly being charitable in her description of them. But in her defense, Ino was feeling pretty crabby.

She rolled her eyes, "I'll go talk to them." She said. Ever the fashionista, Ino eyed her outfit critically. She grabbed a mauve cardigan she'd hung on her door, which matched with her white tank top and bandages, as well as her beige cargo shorts well enough.

She might not look perfect, but perfection was for suckers anyway, she decided. Though, part of her thought she was already natural perfection, so… That might be a contradiction…

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Ino stepped out of her room, closing the birch door behind her.

Her dad smiled at her, warm and proud, instilling a bit of energy back into her. Inoichi followed a few steps behind as she went down the stairs that lead into the Yamanaka living room.

Just as her father had said, Shikamaru and Choji were both waiting for her. They looked surprisingly nervous as she entered the room, with Shikamaru unable to meet her gaze, and Choji fidgeting with his hands.

"I take it you fellas are wondering where I've been." She said, not giving any sort of greeting. Inoichi merely chuckled, walking into another room to give the kids some privacy.

"Yeah! You never hang out with us anymore!" Choji exclaimed, cutting straight to the chase.

"Yeah, I've been busy hanging with my girls." She said, sounding every bit of the mean girl she was back in the academy. In the back of her mind, she was grateful she'd put on bandages when training earlier.

Otherwise, she'd have messed up her perfect manicure. If only she could get Naruto to care for her nails… At least Tenten painted hers from time to time.

Well, she had gotten Naruto a lip-gloss, which was a giant leap forward. She just needed a little more time, and she'd have Naruto girlier than ever before.

Shikamaru gave her a deadpan stare, brown eyes surveying her. "Your girls?" He asked incredulously, knowing that she and Sakura weren't friends anymore.

"That's right." Ino replied, knowing her lack of explanation would frustrate the Nara boy. A perk of knowing someone since childhood, was knowing exactly how to press their buttons. Or maybe that was a perk of being a Yamanaka, it could be either one. Maybe both, Ino mused.

Before he could prod any further, Choji asked for him.

"Oh, cool! We thought maybe you were going through a phase or something! So who're your girls?" Choji asked, looking relieved.

Ino smiled, and Shikamaru narrowed his brown eyes. A phase? Now that was interesting, because Ino was certainly going through a phase of sorts. Though, she would consider it more of a metamorphosis.

"Oh you know, just two other genin. Tenten, and Naruto."

Shikamaru choked in surprise, he and Choji spoke simultaneously.

"You mean Naruto Uzumaki?"

She rolled her eyes, because, what other Naruto did they know? Duh. And also, she'd told them about their meeting in the flower shop a while ago! Had they not been listening when she explained their reconcile?

Biting back the urge to bonk them both over the head, Ino nodded. Bad listeners, the both of them! Lazy, terrible listeners!

"Damn right." She confirmed, making both boys share a surprised glance.

Choji was the first to recover from that shocking revelation.

"You know, we came here to make you come to dinner at my family's restaurant, Team 8 is gonna be there!" He blurted suddenly, bringing Shikamaru out of his own state of stupor.

"You mean _the_ Naruto Uzumaki? The one who would destroy your flawless reputation?" Shikamaru asked again, unable to imagine the Naruto and Ino he knew getting along for even half a _second._

Ino considered telling him that worrying about reputation was for boring people, but figured that might show just how much Naruto had rubbed off on her.

Instead, she'd prefer for him to find out just how much she'd changed on his own.

"That sounds fun, actually. I'm not hungry, _since I had lunch with Naruto earlier_ , but I am dressed already, so I might as well. Let's go." She said, walking to the front. door where she'd left her sandals.

Both boys were momentarily frozen, completely dumbfounded yet again.

"Are you coming, or not?" She asked, one hand resting on her hip.

* * *

_**Training Ground 9** _

* * *

"I think, maybe.. If you put a stroke right from the first quadrant, through the second quadrant of the larger array… It should, in theory, make the seal more controlled." Tenten said, showing Naruto what she meant by demonstrating with her finger.

Naruto hummed, "Right, but, it's a flashbang, does it need to be controlled? It'll just weaken it, right?" She asked incredulously, her fingers covered in black ink from not using her calligraphy brushes.

A strong wind blew through the field, and Naruto defensively threw down her hands to hold the scroll against the grass terrain. Her ponytails whipped in front of her, and she scowled as her messy hair got even messier.

When she withdrew her hands, four fingerprints rested in each of the quadrants, and Tenten gasped. Naruto grimaced, fearing she'd ruined their perfect seal.

"Wait, Naruto, that's it!" Blue eyes met with warm brown, and Tenten smiled ecstatically.

"Look, a tomoe functions as a boost, so if we connect them.."

"And then draw a stroke up, out of the array, it'll lead the blast skyward.." Naruto continued, starting to grin herself, literally connecting the dots of the array with an inked pinky finger.

The parchment held a complicated seal, one they'd been working on since the previous week. On the paper, the kanji for blast, flare, and flash functioned as a label. It also helped in channeling the intent of chakra.

Below the kanji, a large oval with thick, wavy lines was divided into four sections- called quadrants. Each quadrant contained a dot, which Naruto smeared into four nearly identical tomoe. And with her pinky, she connected each tomoe with a thin line.

She went all the way around, meeting the vertical line that divided the quadrants, and drawing upwards outside of the array, ending with a triangular point.

Tenten laughed in disbelief at their creation, it was completely defiling the standard teachings of fuinjutsu, which basically said to _never go against_ the Sealing Alphabet. You weren't supposed to connect lines like this, at least according to the books she'd read.

This thing would be unstable or dangerous, but.. The divided quadrants would retain balance, and the upward stroke would direct the blast. How could it go wrong?!

"And if we add two minor containment seals to each side, we could use colored dye to give the blast a color! Naruto, we've just invented a flare-bomb, but in a se-"

"Greetings, Naruto, Tenten." A voice lacking any inflection called, causing both girls to nearly jump out of their skin in surprise. Tenten squeaked, nearly messing up the perfect line she'd been using to create the minor containment seals she'd mentioned.

Both girls checked the seal for any single flaw, any drops of misplaced ink, anything at all, before sighing in relief when they saw the surprise greeting from Neji had caused no errors.

"Hey, Neji!" Tenten greeted, giving a polite wave, whilst Naruto gave him a cheeky wink and a nod of the head, "Yo, O-Neji-sama."

He eyed both girls scrutinizingly, their project being the least of his concern. On Tenten's cheeks, three black whiskers had been drawn in onyx ink, clearly to mimic Naruto's own.

A strand of brunette hair hung loose on each side of her head, but it was not nearly as messy as the blonde jinchuriki's hair.

Two blonde pigtails had streaks of black, she'd even gotten streaks of the inky substance on her forehead and in her hairline. Her hitai-ate was tying back her bangs, to prevent the mess, but it clearly hadn't helped.

Naruto's hands were also covered in ink, and Neji's eye twitched at such flagrant disregard for messiness.

Flagrant disregard for how much he hated that nickname, too.

Like the wonderful, patient friend he was, he ignored it.

"Where is Guy-sensei? And Lee?" He asked curiously.

"Oh," Tenten said, looking to the side as Naruto was blowing on the drying seal they'd drawn on the scroll of parchment. Distantly, Neji thought Naruto looked like she was doing an unimpressive impression of some sort of fire-breathing dragon.

"They took off on some sort of youthful morning jog, in our honor, or something." Naruto said, after sucking in a loud breath of air.

"They were pretty touched by how hard we've been working on this seal." Tenten said, eyeing the roll of parchment as if it was her child. Seriously, the love in those brown eyes belonged to someone staring at their soulmate…. Not a piece of paper...

"It's the fourth rendition!" Naruto chirped happily, checking to ensure the ink was entirely dry, before rolling up the scroll.

"DO NOT FEAR, THE TWO BEAUTIFUL GREEN BEASTS OF KONOHAGAKURE HAVE RETURNED!" A loud voice hollered, speeding into the training field as if hell was on his heels.

It was just Guy, his footsteps as loud as a stampede as he and Lee arrived in front of them.

"THIS LOVELY SATURDAY MORNING IS BEST SPENT TRAINING WITH MY PRECIOUS STUDENTS, INCLUDING YOU, YOUNG NARUTO!" He changed his pose, doing some odd sort of salute-mixed-with-downward-dog towards the sun.

Before Naruto had the chance to reply, Guy continued.

"BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE ALL ASSEMBLED,THERE IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT MY TEAM WOULD LIKE TO SHARE!" He shouted bombastically, and Naruto almost thought her eardrums might burst as he addressed her directly.

Tenten tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, fighting back a knowing smile to the best of her ability. Naruto looked around the group, noticing how Neji had decided to start staring at a tree instead of making eye contact.

Lee, however, had enormous stars in his glistening eyes.

She grimaced, entirely confused on whatever the hell was happening. Did Guy get married? Was someone pregnant? Her eyes narrowed, examining their group for anyone showing signs of pregnancy.

Guy struck a pose, and Lee followed suit. "As you may know…. The Chuunin Exams are biannual, and there is another exam approaching in just over a month and a half…" He trailed off, smiling wildly.

And yes, Naruto knew that, because she and Anko had been discussing what she'd do to participate. They'd been thinking about seeking out a team from the Genin Corps, then she'd be able to find an experienced team, at least. Even if most Genin Corps were talentless hacks.

"Yeah..?" She waved for him to continue, feelingly painfully dense. She was no genius, did they really expect her to connect the dots like that?

Neji cleared his throat, "Well, seeing as our team competed last year, and I'm the only one who passed…" He trailed off, too, just as Guy had.

Naruto pursed her lips. Everyone here already knew Neji was already a chuunin. Where was he going with this?

"And considering that you defeated me in a spar, I believe it is only sensible to enter you amongst Team 9 as a substitute. For me. Because I cannot serve as Team Captain in an exam I cannot take part in. Do you understand?" Neji said, glaring at that tree as if it had kicked his puppy.

Naruto focused on his words. He obviously could not be a part of his team, as captain, so they need a substitute. And because she had "beaten," Neji in a spar, she could fill his space.

Oh.

 _Oh_.

Noticing the dawning look of realization on the blonde's face, Lee's eyes overflowed with happy tears, and Guy laughed heartily. Tenten seemed too absorbed in watching the cogs turn in her best friend's mind, ignoring her sensei and teammate.

"You mean..? Naruto blinked twice, a sort of dazed look across her face.

"THAT IS RIGHT! WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO JOIN TENTEN AND I FOR THE CHUUNIN EXAMS!" Lee shouted, clenching his fists in visible joy.

_**Oh.** _

Naruto didn't even notice she said that outloud, her head cocked to the side.

Tenten giggled, "Is it really that hard to believe?" and Neji sighed, fearing the blonde may have gone into some kind of shock.

"Is that a yes, or a no?" He asked reluctantly.

The girl shook her head wildly like a wet dog shaking off water, nearly dizzying herself in the process. "Are you kidding me?" She questioned finally, the apples of her cheeks tinting pink as a wide grin stretched across her features.

"Of course I'll join your team! Why the hell wouldn't I, this is perfect! Seriously!" She said, wrapping an arm around Tenten's neck to pull her in for a hug.

"Get over here, Lee, Neji! Group hug!" Tenten said, signaling for the boys to join them. It was probably the only time Tenten would endorse a public group-hug.

With zero hesitance, Lee bounded right into the small space between the blonde and Tenten, while Neji just looked at them with a judging stare.

Guy, however, wasn't going to let Neji get away without a celebratory hug. With a rough shove, he knocked the Hyuuga boy right into Naruto's empty arm. Naruto quickly wrapped her arm around him, but to further prevent any chance of escape, Guy joined the group embrace.

His arms stretched around Neji and Lee, and with his ridiculous upper-body strength, he _lifted_. Yes, he lifted the four teenagers, and suddenly Tenten was clinging to Lee and Naruto to avoid falling.

Lee's eyes were streaming with thick, cartoonish tears as he loudly proclaimed, "THIS HAS BEEN A TRULY MEMORABLE DAY! NEVER HAS OUR YOUTH BEEN SO ENTWINED, SO POWERFUL!" He cried, his voice wavering.

"This is getting embarrassing.." Tenten muttered, as Lee's salty tears dripped onto her clothes. "Hahaha! What Lee said, 'ttebayo!" Naruto encouraged, whilst Neji grimaced. "Please put us down.." He said, and thankfully, Guy heeded his request.

By dropping them all, right onto the hard ground. The pile of teenagers quickly un-entwined their limbs, especially the Hyuuga boy, who was desperately trying to straighten himself.

"Fools," He huffed, blowing a strand of dark brown hair out of his face.

Naruto finally decided to fix her own hair, pulling the thick gray scrunchies which held up her pigtails out. Golden hair fell into a wild mess, causing her brunette friend to snicker.

"We should have a celebration!" Lee proposed, fist pumping the air. Tenten was at least happy he'd wiped away the tears and snot that had been on his face moments ago. That didn't make the tears disappear from her blouse, though.

"Oooo, lunch?" Naruto asked, wiggling her brows excitedly.

It was the first time all of them, (Excluding Tenten) had seen her without pigtails. It was at least as long as Nejis, and maybe if it weren't so wavy, it might be longer.

Tenten would never admit feeling a bit of sourness about that, she could never get her hair to grow so long.

"I will gladly provide you with lunch, dear students of mine!" Guy struck another dramatic pose, a sparkle glinting from his teeth.

"I was thinking more like an extreme contest to test both our bodies and our spirits to their very limits!" Lee said, getting progressively more pumped as he went on.

"No way in hell am I running some celebratory race with either of you." Tenten stated plainly, knowing she hadn't a chance of competing in speed with Lee or Guy. Speed was _**not**_ a skill she prized herself on.

"But-"

"No, thanks." Tenten interrupted, before Lee could even start pleading.

"I second her decision." Neji agreed, and Guy nodded as the entire group turned their eyes to Naruto, who could break the tie.

"What?" She asked slowly, looking around at her peers with blatant discomfort. She was really feeling dumb this week, maybe it was time she started working on her book studies again.

"Your decision will decide whether or not we have an invigorating competition, to test every aspect of our minds, bo-" Naruto began tuning him out once she'd gotten the gist of what he was trying to say.

Mentally, she began weighing her options.

Well, Naruto loved competing, but judging by the dangerous stare Tenten was directing her way… She didn't have much of a choice.

But, then again, just having lunch was getting old at this point. Couldn't they do something cool, like put trip-wires all over the village, or paint the Hokage Monument again?

She sighed, knowing there wasn't a chance they'd do either of those. Maybe some other time, though...

"Lunch is fine. No competition needed." Naruto decided, noticing how pleased Neji seemed.

"Great choice, Naru!" Tenten cheered, patting the girl's head approvingly. Which somehow managed to make her hair look worse, and Naruto knew that Tenten had done that intentionally.

The shorter blonde hissed like a feral animal, making Neji blink in surprise, whilst Tenten looked completely unperturbed. Naruto began haggardly brushing her fingers through her hair, as if Tenten had been the one to make her hair so messy.

No one saw the need to tell her it'd been a wreck the entire time.

As the Uzumaki began pulling her hair into a singular bun, she looked over at the two Green Beasts. Naruto had to immediately close her eyes to avoid seeing the look of pure, utter betrayal on Lee's face.

"Very well, then! The team consensus has been made, where shall we go my dearest students?" Guy said, resting both hands on his hips. Never once did that massive grin leave his face, and it could be asked whether his face hurt from constantly smiling.

Before Naruto had the chance to say ramen, or Lee had the chance to say curry, Tenten was excitedly raising her arm up, as if in a classroom.

"A bakery just opened up, I heard they serve some really good stuff!" Piped the brunette, clearly fantasizing about having some sesame buns. Naruto snorted, knowing she'd heard about the place from Anko.

"As long as they sell tea, I am willing." Neji agreed with an elegant sigh, making Tenten pump her fist in silent victory, whereas Naruto just rolled her eyes. "Tea? Really? You're so laaaame." She drawled, leaning against him suddenly.

Instead of letting her drag him into another bout of teasing, he merely flicked her temple. She scowled, rubbing the side of her head childishly.

Lee, who was visibly sulking the entire time, kicked a pebble across the ground. The boy looked so limp in posture, he could be easily mistaken for a soggy noodle.

"LEE! Pull yourself from the depths of your self-pity, this is no time for you to let your youth be snuffed out!" Guy reprimanded, raising his fist threateningly.

Naruto wasn't sure if the grin on the green-clad man's face made it more or less scary.

Straightening to attention, Lee saluted his sensei with a ridiculous stiffness, "Yes, Guy-sensei!"

Noddin vehemently, Guy patted Lee with approval. "Now then, Tenten, lead the way to this bakery!"

"Riiight.. This way.." She said, taking the lead of the group with visible hesitance.

It didn't take very long for them to reach a nondescript little bakery, walking inside to a moderately full restaurant. Tenten quickly found a big enough booth for her team, the seats a shade of pastel purple.

The entire place was painted in a muted, cutesy color scheme, with lilac walls and blue and pink accents throughout the building.

Naruto's eyes strayed curiously, as Tenten passed them the menus that'd already been resting on the table.

Tenten sat between Neji and Naruto, with Neji at the "head" of the table, and Naruto at the outer seat. And across from Naruto, Guy sat next to Lee.

"Their tea selection is satisfactory." The Hyuuga prodigy said, white eyes examining his menu with a vaguely pleased expression. Whereas, Tenten was assisting Rock Lee in finding what to order, explaining the various sweets and appetizers on the menu.

The blonde sunk into her seat, sitting undignified as she lifted her menu and obscured her face. "Oh, this pie is orange! I want it!" Naruto chirped to herself.

She hadn't exactly expected Neji to reply, "Are you referring to pumpkin pie? Don't order it, pumpkin is disgusting, I assure you." Though his tone was lighthearted, he said 'pumpkin' with an undertone of hatred.

Naruto snorted, "Have you tried it before?" She asked, turning her menu and pointing at the picture of Pumpkin Pie on her menu. "Unfortunately, I have. I'm going to order the ginseng tea." He concluded, closing his menu and placing it back on the table.

"You're seriously only ordering tea? Not even a bun, or daifuku?" Naruto inquired in disbelief, and he nodded.

She sighed, feeling a little sick of Neji's total boring-ness.

"Well I'm gettin' cupcakes. A lot of 'em. I'll share with you." She determined, nodding to herself in satisfaction. "Sharing, what an excellent way to showcase your youthful bonds! Lee, we shall also share something!" He spoke as if saying something profound, as the waitress made her way to their table.

She pulled the notepad from the apron she wore over her frilly dress, preparing to write down their order. "I'll have two sesame buns, and Lee here will have a single taiyaki." Tenten said with a pleasant smile, as Guy piped in, "And a large batch of dango for me and the boy to share, Miss!"

The woman nodded slowly, writing down their orders before directing her attention to Naruto. "A dozen cupcakes, pretty please! Oh, and make 'em all different kinds. But no pumpkin, because pumpkin is against Neji's morals." She ordered, adding the last bit just to confuse the poor woman. It was only a bonus that Neji scoffed at her.

"A-ah, okay.. We don't serve pumpkin cupcakes, so that shouldn't be an issue… Is that all?" The redheaded waitress asked with a questioning expression.

"Nope, that'll be all!" Tenten said politely, causing the woman to nod and walk away quickly. Neji swore she muttered something about strange ninjas under her breath.

Naruto detached the bag on her hip, pulling it onto the table to pilfer through. The bag, which was nearly the size of a satchel, held more than just weapons and seals. It also held her paint-pens, notepads, stickers (how had those gotten there?) and hair-ties. And also her frog-wallet. And somehow, her camera, as well, along with a few pictures.

Naruto smiled at her notepad, grabbing a pen, and doodling on the first clean page with childish fervor.

Tenten, who was considering lecturing Naruto on essentially dumping her bag on the table, opted not to. Mostly because of the random items included in the mess, which caught her attention.

Fishing out a few of the pictures Naruto had taken, she smiled as she saw a picture of her and Naruto smiling in front of a giant flame. She remembered that day, it was when they'd trained with Anko, and decided to test their first explosion seal. It was a horrendous idea to make a flare seal with four supplementary explosions.

She flipped to the next picture, one of Anko smiling, and flipped to the next. Ino, with a camellia blossom tucked behind her ear, and then a random photo of a bull-frog.

A photo of some graffiti, and a picture of she, Ino, and Naruto dressed in their cowboy suits made her giggle aloud, causing Neji to look over at her with curiosity. She scooted closer to him to show him the images, his eyes widening at the photo of them in front of the exploding seal.

Lee, who'd been happily chatting with Guy, reached into Naruto's pile of miscellaneous items, taking a green smiley face sticker, and then immediately peeling it off. He stuck it to his face with a bright grin, getting a silent thumbs up from Guy.

Tenten saw his face-sticker, getting a bit jealous, and decided to steal another of Naruto's stickers. Plucking away a yellow star, she stuck it to her cheek, and even found one for Neji. He looked at her with an unimpressed expression, and she rolled her eyes, adding the heart sticker to Lee's face instead.

It was then that Naruto peeked up from her notepad, gasping in surprise. "Hey! Who told you vultures you could just pilfer through my stuff!"

Neji pointed at Tenten blandly, "She started it."

Tenten swerved to look at him, her hand over her heart dramatically. "Neji!" She rebuked, looking at him as if he were a traitor.

"Now, now, children! No need to fight, our food is here!" Guy interrupted, raising his hands placatingly, as the waitress stood at the end of their table with a large platter with all of their plates on it.

Naruto and Tenten immediately began trying to clean up the mess on the table, shoveling the many items back into Naruto's bag. Lee, who'd been examining the camera in his hands, sat it down in the seat next to him.

Naruto's cupcakes were served in a large box, which she stared at happily as the rest of their table received their orders.

Tenten practically buzzed at the sight of her sesame buns, whereas Lee poked at his taiyaki with curiosity. Most of the time, he had curry or health-foods, so baked goods weren't something he was very familiar with.

Neji, always the princess, delicately lifted his tea-cup to his mouth and took a sip. Then immediately nodded his head in approval, and placed back on the table.

Naruto stared at him with a perturbed expression, already having decimated two of her cupcakes. She huffed, looking away to pass a cupcake to Guy and Lee.

As she passed a cupcake to Tenten, she looked back to the box with a tense expression, trying to find one that he would like. She decided on a very decorated cupcake, with white icing and chocolate sprinkles, a small bar of chocolate wedged in the cupcake itself.

He happened to look up just then, noticing she was staring at him, the cupcake silently offered, like some precious token of friendship.

He blinked, suddenly feeling strange about the exchange, because the entire table was staring to see if he would accept it. It hadn't been this weird when the others accepted a cupcake!

Though, Neji certainly would not accept it. Sweets were childish, ill-fitting for a Hyuuga shinobi to enjoy.

"Your cupcake." She said, sliding the cupcake towards him slowly, her eyes wide and curious.

The sparkle in her blue eyes was almost enough to convince him. Almost.

He shoved the cupcake back towards her, Tenten chewing on her bun like a movie-goer with popcorn.

"No, thank you." He said, taking another sip of his tea. He intook the flowery scent, enjoying the notes of honey and earth. There was only one cube of sugar added, making it utterly perfect- "I insist, O-Neji-senpai." Naruto said, interrupting his internal review of his tea.

He looked down, seeing that the cupcake was pushed right next to his tea-cup, narrowing his eyes in distaste. "I said, No Thank You." He repeated.

"Pleeaase?" She tried the puppy-eyes, even sticking out her bottom lip and clasping her hands together. "No." He stated, firm and simple, causing the blonde's face to immediately change.

The entire table was still watching, slowly eating their desserts, eyes darting back and forth as if they were watching a tennis match.

"C'mon, Neji, pretty please? It has sprinkles." She tried again, much more sternly this time.

"No, Naruto. Cupcakes are for children." He sniffed haughtily, looking down at his tea. Tenten gasped, "Children?" She may have been purposely egging them on, but due to the fact her mouth was full of cake, she may have been truly offended.

Naruto, however, was _very_ offended. "Children, huh? Do I look like a _child_ , to _you_?" She asked standing up at their booth. She folded her arms and eyes narrowed at him.

Neji thought that over, and while his answer was a certain no, there was certainly something childish about the pig-tails she always wore and the orange in every outfit. But, well, a No was a No, even though part of him wanted to get her back for all that teasing and say Yes.

"You don't want me to answer that." He said, slightly smug as his lip curled upwards in a faint smile.

Naruto grumbled, scrunching her nose, "Oh just eat the damn cupcake, dattebayo!" She said, a vein pulsing in her forehead as she pointed at the chocolate treat.

"No." He said, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Naruto's face ignited with fury and determination, her yanking the cupcake up.

She pulled her arm back, and with a great amount of intuition, Lee looked down at the camera, sensing a photo-worthy moment ahead.

He took the camera in his hands, examining it momentarily before positioning his finger over the button.

"Just! Eat it!" Commanded the blonde, holding the cupcake with the full intent of shoving it in his mouth.

She swung forward, and Neji tried to dodge, but it was _far too late_.

The chocolate cupcake smashed against his face.

There was silence.

Until a loud click, followed by a shutter sound effect and a flash, interrupted.

Then all hell broke loose.

Guy broke into raucous laughter, hooting and hollering at the sight of his poor student's face covered in icing and cake. Tenten joined him with her own laughter, covering her mouth with her hands. Guy even started banging his fist on the table, growing a bit red in the face.

Lee himself felt incredibly victorious, staring at the photograph with unmitigated glee, up until Naruto and Neji both turned their attention to him.

He shrunk into his seat, his eyes the size of planets as the two angered teens looked down at him.

* * *

As Naruto was walking home that very evening, she happened to sense a very familiar presence lurking behind her. Opening her eyes, Naruto snorted. She tilted her head back, bending as far back as she could to stare at the very tree she hid in.

Just then, Anko realized she'd lost, deciding to drop from the towering tree.

"Hey there, Peach!" Anko greeted cheerfully, waving both hands. Immediately, Naruto wondered what the hell had gotten her so chipper. Discount on dango? Did a sexy someone compliment her? Or maybe she'd gotten the promotion?

Her final suspicion was confirmed when Anko said, "Guess who's a full-fledged jounin now!" Before Naruto could ask, Anko continued. "Me! Anko Mitarashi, the one and only! Your sensei! Epic and powerful as ever!" She said, flexing her arms in a way that reminded Naruto of Might Guy himself.

"Hell yeah! I knew you could do it!" Her arms flying into the air with joy.

"You were right! But you won't believe who my administrator was." Anko said, reeling in the blonde girl's curiosity.

"Who? Was it Inoichi? Or Ibiki? Couldn't have been Guy." She tapped her chin in thought, and Anko made a derisive noise at the obvious guesses.

"Nope. Kakashi Hatake, the one who you had a child with. Yanno, the very one who pays child support every month." The purplette replied coolly, causing the blonde to make a noise which sounded like the combination of a growl and squeal. Her face practically glowed red, grabbing at her hair in fury.

Though it went entirely unnoticed by them, a civilian woman, who'd been eavesdropping, fainted.

"Shut up! Gah! Now I don't even want you to tell me about the test, I'm leaving!" Screamed the frustrated blonde, stomping away before Anko could go into a detailed and laborious explanation of every little aspect about her test.

"Naruto-chaaan! Wait, I didn't get to gloat yet!" Called the woman, outstretching her arm to the rapidly distancing blonde.

(A few days later, Kakashi Hatake would panic about rumors of him impregnating some young blonde.)

* * *

_**Missions Office, Hokage'sTower** _

* * *

In the mission's office, Naruto fought back a groan at the utter familiarity of it all. Four chuunin, shuffling through papers, accepting mission reports, asking for mission reports, assigning missions.. It was all so boring, she couldn't help but notice. Anko, for all of her impatience, looked as unbothered as ever.

This was by far the most dreadful part of her schedule; D-Ranks were easily her least favorite task of all time.

From having to play delivery girl, to capturing that stupid feline Tora, it was something Naruto truly despised. Or even worse, those hellish missions where she had to clean public restrooms, or onsens, or that one mission where she'd had to clean the sewers with Team 9 all those weeks ago- A shiver ran up her spine.

Yes, Naruto was absolutely certain, D-Rank missions were the most miserable, dreadful wretched missions one could take.

Of course, she wasn't the only genin who felt this way. Behind her in line, she heard a familiar voice, griping loudly.

"C'mon Kurenai-sensei! Me and Akamaru just can't handle these stupid D-Ranks anymore!"

"K-Kiba!" Another familiar voice squeaked, catching Naruto's attention. She turned to look behind her, spotting three familiar faces.

The griping voice belonged to Kiba Inuzuka, one of her semi-friends from the academy.

To his left, Hinata Hyuuga stood, twiddling with her fingers, a nervous tic she'd always exhibited, as far as Naruto could remember.

Naruto of course recognized the mousey girl, having saved her from bullies a few times back in the academy. Though she didn't know Hinata well, they were always amicable, and Naruto thought she was quite sweet.

To the right of Kiba, Shino Aburame stood as impassively as ever. And behind the trio, a gorgeous woman with choppy black hair and breath-taking burgundy eyes stood. Putting the pieces together quickly, that woman must've been the "Kurenai-Sensei,'' that Kiba had referred to in his whining.

Throwing up one of her infamous, all-star grins, Naruto approached them without any hesitance. It had been ages since she'd actually seen them, so she'd take her chance to make conversation, especially when there was nothing better to do than wait in line.

"Oi! Kiba, Shino, Hinata!" She said, practically running at them. Hinata raised her head quickly to identify the familiar voice calling for her, a smile falling on her delicate features upon seeing Naruto. Both boys also looked up, though a bit slower than the Hyuuga heiress had.

"Woah, Naruto! Look at you!" Kiba said gleefully, taking notice of her outfit. The two shared exuberant smiles, exchanging a fist bump as greeting. Kiba considered himself too cool for handshakes, and hugs were too sappy for him. Hence, the fist bump. It was a simple gesture, one that Naruto hadn't forgotten.

"Sup, Dog-boy! Been a while, eh?" She asked, not yet greeting the other two.

"Damn right it has!" He quipped. She opened her arms towards Hinata, clearly offering a hug, which the girl happily took. Maybe even a bit _too_ happily, but Naruto didn't judge!

The blue-haired girl had always looked up to Naruto Uzumaki, so such a show of affection was readily expected by those who knew her. (Even if Naruto herself hadn't known." "Good to see you, Hinata." The blonde said kindly, giving the shorter heiress a head-pat.

As for the third member of Team 8, he hadn't even expected a greeting from the exuberant blonde.

He'd grown quite used to being ignored, and it would've been illogical to expect some warm greeting from a stranger. Imagine Shino's surprise, when the genin outstretched her hand to him, a much more sheepish gesture of greeting.

Naruto had specifically toned herself down for Shino, having remembered how much of a loner he was back in the academy days. That didn't mean she'd just ignore him, though. That simply wasn't her style.

She smiled as she saw his eyebrows raise above his glasses, which were circular, much unlike her own.

Her own glasses didn't even hide her eyes fully, unless she constantly pushed them up. (Which, she rarely did. The slim rectangular glasses always sat lower on her nose, unless her eyes were closed.)

"Hey, I remember you. You're Shino. Aburame Shino, right?" She said, her hand still outstretched. Snapping out of his surprise, he hesitantly took her hand into his own. Giving a light squeeze and slight shake, the girl disconnected.

All Shino could think was how odd this person in front of him was. Most did not engage in physical contact with Aburame clansmen.

An illogical, yet common reaction to the hives within them.

"Yes, that is me. You are Naruto Uzumaki, correct?" He asked, readjusting his glasses. He already knew the answer to that, of course… But he was trying to become better at socializing…

She smiled yet again, blindingly bright. "Cool, you remembered! I know we didn't talk, but that's still a nice surprise." Her eyes lingered away from him, clearly showing her mind was wandering elsewhere.

"It would be hard to forget an outlier like yourself." The boy replied, as stoic and mysterious as she had remembered.

Her hand rested on the nape of her neck, tilting her head ever so slightly. Was that a compliment? Or an insult? Maybe both? Or what if-

Thankfully, Naruto didn't have time to reply, as the Jounin-sensei of Team 8 interrupted. "Are you a friend of my students, Uzumaki-san?" The dark haired beauty asked politely, catching the attention of the entire group. Kurenai was vaguely approving of this girl already, just by how she tweaked every greeting for the maximum comfort of each individual.

"Of course she is, Naruto and I were rivals back at the academy!" Kiba supplied, nearly making Naruto choke. She'd nearly forgotten about their silly rivalry, which was mostly just them exchanging insults and beating each other up. And then being cool with each other again three minutes later, of course.

That was when they'd band together to talk about arrogant guys like Sasuke, or bullies like Ami. No, they certainly weren't gossiping! They were too cool for gossip, gossiping was for prissy types. They weren't prissy, they were rough-and-tumble badasses.

Naruto was even more surprised when Hinata agreed with Kiba, replying to her sensei.

"Y-yes! Naruto-chan was always very kind to me in the academy. She stopped bullies for my sake several times.." The Hyuuga heiress said, almost pridefully.

Naruto's jaw nearly fell. She'd never thought her rivalry with Kiba or protection of Hinata had meant so much to them. It was a shock for them to jump and defend- No, claim her as a friend- like this. Especially considering how wary most people were of the blonde, even now.

"I see." The woman said, her expressionless face turning into something much warmer- much kinder. "Y-yeah, I'd like to think your team and I are friends." Naruto said, softly. It was odd, how subdued she suddenly felt. Thankfully, it wouldn't last long.

"Well, I am Kurenai Yuuhi, their jounin-sensei. It's a pleasure to meet you, Naruto-san." The crimson-eyed woman said, her eyes wrinkling with a polite smile.

"So, Naruto, what the hell happened to the jumpsuit? And why the glasses? And the trench coat?" Kiba asked, making an exaggerated thinking pose as he looked her up and down with scrutinizing eyes.

"Eh, shit happens, people change. The trench is pretty important though, you know." Naruto flipped one of her golden-blonde pigtails over her shoulder.

Kurenai, who knew the significance of Shinobi who wore coats like that, merely smiled.

A friend of hers worked in T&I, so she knew that the coats were that department's 'thing.' Almost like how the Chakra-sensing unit seemed to wear boots, instead of sandals, or how the Archive's Department always wore their hair up.

"Whaddya mean?" Kiba asked impatiently, while Hinata and Shino both seemed quite interested.

"Oh you know. I'm just an official shinobi of the Torture and Interrogation Unit. The coat signifies that, obviously." She said, attempting to sound nonchalant. It was quite obvious, though, that she was rather proud of this.

Kurenai wasn't sure how to feel about a child in T&I, but considering that children were easily killing, surely the girl was no worse off. And T&I members undergo psych evals quite often, so surely she was fine.. Right?

As for the other three, they also didn't know how to feel. Hinata felt a surge of squeamishness at the mere thought of torturing others, while Kiba seemed both impressed and disgusted.

Shino, well, he was Shino... "Of course a freak like you would work in a place like that!" Kiba taunted, obviously joking. She punched him in his arm, not even noticing the purplette walking up behind her. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Damn, that hurt, I was just about to congratulate you!" He said, wincing as he rubbed his arm.

Naruto stuck her nose up, a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

She really must be getting stronger, because Kiba never bitched like that when she hit him back in the academy.

Kurenai's prior thoughts of Naruto being fine in T&I quickly disintegrated, seeing the girl's sensei behind her.

Anko Mitarashi may be a good friend of hers, but there was no way in hell that woman could be a good teacher. Said woman proceeded to grab Naruto by her face, squishing the girl's cheeks together. The blonde, whose face was squished into a fish-like expression, attempted to glare up at the purplette.

"Oi, brat. You think you can just walk off like that?" the purplette asked, still smooshing the blonde's face.

"Shut it, Anko-nee." The blonde retorted, causing the jounin to roll her eyes in irritation. "I oughta make you do five D-Ranks today, teach you disrespectful kids a lesson." Anko replied, genuinely trying to sound stern and angry.

Needless to say, she was failing miserably, because she was fighting off a smile as she said it. Naruto huffed, "I'd rather do a hundred years worth of your evasion training than take another D-Rank!" She replied petulantly.

"Ugh, same with us. Kurenai-sensei won't let us take anything but D-ranks either." Kiba said, trying to ignore the newest addition to their conversation. Pushing Anko's hand away, the blonde nodded vehemently.

"I wish I could take a real mission, outside the village or something." Without realizing, Team 8 and their company were next in line.

Kurenai lightly pushed Kiba ahead, which Naruto followed beside him as they talked. "Right? D-Ranks are the worst. I wanna take an _actual_ mission!" Naruto declared. She didn't include torturing and interrogating as missions, because that was merely work for her. Grueling, emotionally exhausting work, but work nonetheless.

"A real mission, eh?" A familiar, grandfatherly voice asked. Kiba snapped to attention, while Naruto flinched. She wasn't happy to see the Hokage, not at all. She'd tried to avoid him ever since the truth of her parentage came out, and that was months ago.

Of course she'd felt his presence when she'd entered, but his chiming in was so abrupt, the flinch was something she couldn't hide in time. Despite her training, which spanned from taijutsu, to fuinjutsu, to poisons, Naruto wasn't well-trained in masking her emotions. Especially not on the fly, and especially not when it came to people she had some bad feelings for.

She simply didn't feel like speaking to someone who could lie to her the way he did.

"Yes!" Kiba agreed passionately, getting an amused smile from the old man. Naruto simply stared at him impassively, her face suddenly going blank. That was a new trick of hers, though it was rather hard for her to maintain.

"Well, I believe it can be arranged to send Naruto and Team 8 on a C-Rank mission, as long as Yuuhi-san here does not disagree?" The Hokage turned all attention to Kurenai with that question, whom had three sets of puppy eyes trained on her. One set of which literally belonged to a puppy.

She sighed in defeat, "I believe Team 8 is ready." She said, not bothering to argue.

Anko, who'd been standing to the side, smiled. "Naruto is overqualified at this point. Though, I gotta ask, will Naruto be accompanying Team 8 on her own?" Anko asked, slyly avoiding what she really wanted to ask.

"Yes, I see no need to send two jounin on a simple C-rank. You will be staying behind in Konoha." The elderly man replied amicably, and Naruto's lips screwed to the side. She was uneasy about the idea of being away from Anko for a while, but it would probably be good for them, right?

When she got back, they'd have missed each other so much, they'd hang out all day, and all night! It'd be great!

Anko, on the other hand, was overjoyed. "That means I get a break from teaching! Konoha bars, here I come!" The woman practically cheered, causing Naruto to deadpan.

The scantily-clad jounin nearly ran off, but stopped suddenly. "Oh, and Naruto, don't forget to pack your weapons just in case. And extra snacks, we both know you'll be pissed if you don't. Come find me when you get back, kiddo." She said, giving her student a head pat before sprinting off.

Naruto, who was kind of stunned by how that went down, blinked owlishly.

Did Anko ditch her that easily?

"Wait, so, does that mean I'm taking a C-Rank with you guys?" The blonde asked, suddenly looking excited. Whatever, she saw Anko everyday. She could go without seeing her favorite jounin for a LITTLE while.

"U-Um, I suppose so.." The Hyuuga heiress replied, poking her index fingers together. "Hell yeah!" Proclaimed the blonde, swinging an arm around the bluette. Kiba only snickered in response, while Hinata squeaked in surprise. The Hokage, along with Iruka, had watched the entire scene with curious eyes.

Giving the Hyuuga girl a glance of sympathy, Iruka begrudgingly began to sort through papers.

"Oi, Iruka-sensei, what're you doing here?" Kiba asked, taking notice of the tan-skinned chuunin.

Naruto snorted, "He's been here since the academy let out." Iruka smiled, "Naruto is right, Kiba. I don't have to go back to teaching at the academy until the fall." The Inuzuka grumbled, shooting her a half-hearted glare.

She tittered, completely unbothered.

It was then that Kiba realized may Naruto have actually changed.

Back in the academy, Naruto would've reacted to such a thing. She'd have put him in a headlock until he begged for mercy, or something.

"Here, this is a guard mission which the five of you should be able to handle. Iruka, bring in Tazuna." The elderly man directed, to which Iruka complied. Guiding in the short man, Tazuna, Iruka sat back down. Both Kiba and Naruto grimaced at the odor of alcohol emanating from the short man.

Giving a single hiccup, the man began a pathetic attempt at a drunken rant. "Oh this is just lovely, these half-pints are supposed to protect me? Some mutt and his dog, a weirdo, a wallflower, and.. whatever the hell she's supposed to be. Some sorta gothic prostitute?" The man pointed his index at each of them as he trailed off, his finger ending on Naruto.

Adjusting her glasses, a gesture reminiscent of Shino, she took a step forward. Kiba was internally cheering her on, while Kurenai didn't get the chance to interrupt. Or maybe she did have the chance, and preferred just to let things escalate.

With her hands on her hips confidently, the girl leaned forward, staring the elderly man straight in the eye.

"You've got a lot of nerve, geezer. I know quite a few poisons which can go entirely unnoticed when slipped into sake, and I've been dying to try em out, 'ttebane..." The old man gulped, backing up nervously.

Naruto was only partially bluffing.

(Seriously, the nerve of that bastard! She was wearing shorts, damn you, not a bikini! Even if she was, none of this old traditionalist bastard's business! And _goth? SHE'S LITERALLY WEARING ORANGE-)_

Iruka, who was entirely stunned by her attitude, gathered himself enough to reprimand the blonde.

"Naruto! You can't threaten clients!" He shouted, catching the girl's attention. Instead of the blonde giving him a startled or apologetic look, her gaze was entirely cold. Even when she gave him a grin.

"Ha, it wasn't a threat! I was just giving him a little FYI." The blonde said with jazz hands near the end, taking a step back from the drunkard.

As far as Naruto was concerned, that old bastard deserved it. She hoped they'd encounter some real goth prostitutes while guarding him, maybe he'd burst a blood vessel. Or a stroke, maybe? Then again, that might be bad… It'd be mission failure, and wait a minute, did she just wish a stroke on a random old man? Sheesh, maybe she needed another psych evaluation...

"Team 8, Naruto... This is Tazuna, a bridge builder belonging to Wave Country. He needs to be brought to Wave and guarded from thieves and thugs until he is finished with the bridge. You will be placed in charge of guarding him." The Hokage directed, getting a silent sigh from Kurenai.

Naruto was listening, despite that she was eyeing her outfit. Maybe she shouldn't have tied her trench around her waist? It looked badass that way, and totally showed off her killer biceps….

You know what, maybe she'd show up tomorrow in one of those things Anko wears, the fishnet bodysuits… That'd show the old man!

Fuck him, her outfit looked cool, she'd keep it like this! If this was what a goth prostitute looked like, they were cool too! Damn geezer!

Her internal fuming didn't end for the rest of the day, which anyone could've guessed by her sour expression.

"Okay, team, Tazuna. We will meet outside the eastern-most gate at noon, bring everything you'd need for a long journey which could take weeks." She said, her voice like silk. It was almost enchanting, but it still snapped Naruto out of her thoughts temporarily.

Getting affirmative nods, the group separated at the door, each of them heading him to prep for their mission.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Hinata, Kiba, Shino! You too Yuuhi-san!" She said, waving frantically as she practically ran away.

"Later, Naruto!" Kiba said, Akamaru yipping from atop his head.

"S-see you tomorrow, everyone." Hinata said sweetly, leaving the group to chase after Kurenai.

Shino merely nodded, and left, going towards the Aburame district to pack.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here is the first part of Chapter Eight.
> 
> First, I'll say that I tried to humanize everyone in this chapter very much. There are no tough battle scenes or constant training, it's almost slice-of-lifey. This is intentional. This will be the last chapter of it's kind, for a long, long time. Shit goes down, and just keeps going down after this. This story will get dark in the future, possibly even gorey at points. That being said, there will still be aspects of this in the future. Also, the scene with Ino was entirely improvised on a whim, do you like it?
> 
> Second, I want to say that I'd really love some feedback on this chapter. I hate it more than any of the others honestly, and Incan't explain why, it just makes me cringe. I just hate it, it doesn't feel right, I'll probably come back to drastically edit it one of these days. I've edited it several times now, but I doubt it's helped much. I've worked hard though, so there's that.
> 
> Third, This took FOREVER. More than an entire month. Horrendous wait time honestly, especially since it's been nearly done for eons. Mostly because I broke my phone and lost dozens of drafts as a result. Entire chapters, fight scenes, sappy scenes, planning, etc, it's all gone. My heart is so so so broken, honestly, and it's killed my motivation a little. That being said, this story is not dropped. We've actually reached 100k words now I think, which is insane! I've put so much time into this story, it's like my baby.
> 
> Also, as a random add-on, I have added many things to the Naruto Universe, I realize. Some fics paint it as a medieval setting, but Kishimoto himself has said in interviews they have a lot of modern day tech. So things like "malls," kithcen timers, cameras, etc feel fitting. There's more than that, but that's what I wanted to talk about. Someone should chat with me about this in comments bc I find it interesting.
> 
> So then, that's all! Much love to you all, kisses and high-fives! Thank you for reading!


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